Digimon D-Tamer Deux
by TheAmazingOREOman
Summary: It's been three years since the final battle against Ogudamon. Hachiro Ryuu, now 16 years old, is adjusting to life as a normal high school student. However, he will never forget the adventures he had with Dracomon and the other D-Tamers. When a new threat known only as "The Mikado" rises, Ryuu must join up with D-Tamers both new and old to protect the Human and Digital Worlds.
1. D1: (帰郷) Kikyō (Homecoming)

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters or content. There are, however, original characters that I do own. Those of which are either from the previous story, _Digimon D-Tamer_ , or will be introduced in this story.

 **xXx**

 _The Digital Network._

 _It has spread throughout the entire world. It has become a parallel world!_

 _Lifeforms have been created to serve as sentient beings of the new world. They are called Digital Monsters._

 _The peace of both the Human and Digital Worlds was threatened by the one who inherited the soul of darkness, Ogudamon._

 _Those chosen by fate, the Digimon D-Tamers, were able to cleanse the darkness and bring balance back to both worlds._

 _Three years have passed since that holy war…_

 **xXx**

"For those of you just catching up with us here on Twitch, we're now at the semi-finals of the DMRA Grade B Tournament! Tamers of all ages from around the world gather here at the Mugen Colosseum for this incredible event. Today we are separating the champs from the chumps! Let's jump right into the action, shall we?"

Mugen Colosseum was a colossal oval-shaped amphitheater built into what originally was Mt. Infinity. It was seemingly filled with thousands of Digimon cheering and watching the current matchup. There were two Digimon in the battlefield grasping onto each other in a power struggle.

"The fight is about to end!" the samurai Digimon, Musyamon, said. His sword was locked with the sword built-in to his opponent's head.

 **MUSYAMON – ADULT LEVEL – DEMON MAN TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"Not yet…not yet…!" The opposing Digimon, Zubamon, growled. He wasn't going to let himself get overpowered. The two Digimon were roughly the same size; Musyamon only slightly towered over Zubamon.

 **ZUBAMON – CHILD LEVEL – WEAPON TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"This battle could go either way, folks!" The announcer, a two-winged angel named Piddomon, screamed as he hovered in the air. "Who do you want to move onto the finals: Musyamon, the self-proclaimed 'Samurai of the East' or Zubamon the 'Twentiest?'" Among the spectators in the colosseum, a dark-haired girl with glasses had her eyes glued on Zubamon.

"That is… _ **ENOUGH!**_ " Musyamon said. He let out an ear-piercing scream and swings his sword into the air, breaking the standstill. Zubamon was knocked back a few feet and was taken aback to see Musyamon's sword charging with blue energy. "This match is over…!"

"… _that's it!_ " Zubamon noticed he had an opening. " _While he's preparing to strike…_ "

"Let's see you face my killing technique!" Musyamon said, watching the blue energy surrounding his sword become fire of the same color.

" _Shiratori-maru…_ "

"NOW!" Seemingly all in one motion, Zubamon hops into the air and literally blasts off towards Musyamon head-first.

" _Twenty Dive!_ "

Before Musyamon could launch his killing technique, the entire colosseum gasps in surprise. Zubamon landed on the ground behind Musyamon, after having blown right through his opponent's chest. Silence fell for a few moments as the samurai Digimon slowly fell onto his back, dropping his sword out of his hands. Zubamon let out a sigh of relief and turned to face Musyamon.

"It looks like we have our winner!" Piddomon announced after waiting a few moments. He flew down and landed next to Zubamon. When he landed next to the armored bipedal Digimon, the Angel grabbed his hand and raised it into the air. "Zubamon is the winner!" The entire colosseum erupted into applause as Zubamon grinned.

"He's the one." The dark-haired girl from before said. Out of her pocket, she pulled out two strange-looking, yet identical devices.

"Zubamon will advance to the final round, so make sure to tune into the championship match tomorrow at 9:00 JST! This is your announcer Piddomon saying, 'See you next time on the Digital Monster Rumble Arena!'"

 **~ LOG OUT~**

A young teen closed his laptop and let out a sigh of relief. After all the training and leveling up he had to put Zubamon through, it seemed like it finally was about to pay off. He had never made it to the semifinals of a DMRA tournament before, let alone the finals. After unplugging his card reader from his laptop, he put it on the desk next to the bed he was sitting on along with his laptop.

"Tap! It's time for breakfast!" A strong feminine voice called from downstairs. "Make sure you make your bed!" Wiping his dark hair that was stuck on his sweat-covered forehead, Samezu Tap hopped off his bed. He picked up his _Sword Art Online_ -labeled comforter and tossed it onto his bed, landing carelessly across the middle.

"Good enough…" Tap said. He picked up a small golden device with a screen and three gray buttons from his bed and threw them into his back pocket. Now, he was ready…

 **xXx**

 **Digimon D-Tamer Deux**

 **D-1**

(帰郷) **Kikyō (** _ **Homecoming**_ **)**

 **xXx**

 _My name is Hachiro Ryuu. I am a Digimon Tamer: one of the heroes chosen by VictoryGreymon to protect the Digital World….and we did. Not only did we save the Digital World, but the Real World as well. I've seen some crazy things: the people I love become slaves to the darkness in their hearts, vicious monsters destroy anything and everything in their path, you name it. We stopped GranDracmon: the Ruler of the Night, the Seven Great Demon Lords, Ogudamon: Lord of Atonement, you name it. I almost died saving both worlds…a couple of times, really…but I didn't. I've fought with the ultimate fighter Marcus Damon, the Old Masters of Legend, I've met with Chronomon. You're talking to a sixteen-year-old who has seen more action than people twice my age. Now, I have a question to ask you and I want you to listen very carefully:_

"Would you want to go to the Eisa Matsuri Festival with me?"

"No."

 _No?!_

Hachiro Ryuu had a dejected look on his face as the girl he was talking to, Adachi Sakura, turned down his proposal to accompany him to one of the most well-known festivals in Tokyo. Sakura's face became as red as her hair.

"Sorry," she said. "I-uh, well…I don't really think of you that way. I just think it would be weird, ya know?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ryuu said, masking his disappointment poorly. "I totally get it…it's okay."

"Sorry…" Sakura said, turning to begin walking away. "I'll see ya around." And like that, she was gone. Ryuu watched Sakura walk away, her sailor uniform-skirt swaying from side to side.

"Not another one…" Ryuu sighed. He threw his gakuran over his shoulder and started walking down the halls of Shinjuku Yamabuki High School. There was a pain in his stomach unlike anything he had ever felt before. This was nothing like fighting evil monsters in a Digital World…this was getting rejected… _three_ times. Ryuu made it outside. He was relieved that it was the end of the school day and that, more importantly, the weekend was finally here. He pulled something out of his pocket. It was his black-and-red D-Soul Digivice. It had been some time since the gate to the Digital World had been closed, so it has been nothing but a peculiarly designed cell phone with slightly better reception than his old phone.

"Ryuu-san!" Ryuu turned around and a girl was walking towards him. Her wavy scarlet hair only went down to her shoulders, like his hair did now, and was in the same sailor fuku that Sakura was wearing.

"Hey, Keiko." Ryuu said, loosening his tie. It was nice to see a familiar friendly face, especially from "the good ol' days," as Ryuu put it. Mizumi Keiko was also a former member of the Digimon D-Tamers three years ago. Ryuu didn't really talk to her much during the early days of their adventures but a strong friendship was eventually forged. "What's up?"

"You look lonely, Ryuu-san." Keiko said.

"Really, how could you tell?" Ryuu said. Keiko could feel Ryuu's sarcasm smack her in the face.

"What happened?"

"N-No, nothing important…"

"Is that why you're sulking?" Ryuu sighed. He could tell she wouldn't let up about this.

"I asked out another girl to the Matsuri Festival and she turned me down."

"Oh, Ryuu…" Keiko said, putting her hand on Ryuu's cheek. "That's never fun, I'm sorry. You know I'd go with you if I could."

"Yeah, yeah…" Ryuu said. "You have family coming that weekend, I know." Keiko let out a sigh and began to walk away from the school. She stopped after taking a few steps and turned to face her friend.

"You coming?"

"Where?" Ryuu said.

"You'll see." Keiko said, motioning for him to follow her. "I know what will raise your spirits."

 **xXx**

"Don't lose, Flamedramon!"

"You don't lose either, Wizardmon!"

The third floor of Taito Station, the most popular video arcade in Shinjuku, was crowded on this Friday afternoon, particularly in one specific corner of the level. This was the "Digital Monster Battle Terminal," a mini version of the MMORPG exclusively for exhibition matches. Two Tamers can simply plug in their V-Pets into their respective consoles and the Digimon are projected onto the rather large screen in 3D. There was a large crowd surrounding the two Tamers who owned the currently battling Flamedramon and Wizardmon.

 **FLAMEDRAMON – ARMOR LEVEL – DRAGON MAN TYPE – FREE ATTRIBUTE**

 **WIZARDMON – ADULT LEVEL – DEMON MAN TYPE – DATA ATTRIBUTE**

Both Digimon had low remaining HP. The next attack would probably decide the match.

" _Fire Rocket!_ "

As Flamedramon shot up into the air, his entire body began to catch fire and he soared down in Wizardmon's direction.

"This will end it!" one boy in the crowd said. As Flamedramon was about to make contact, Wizardmon vanished from sight. Everyone gasped and Flamedramon landed on the ground as the flames were extinguished.

"Above you!" one of the Tamers shouted. At that point, Wizardmon appeared in the sky and he was aiming his scepter towards Flamedramon.

" _Thunder Ball!_ "

A sphere of electrical energy erupted from Wizardmon's scepter and crashed right into Flamedramon. He screamed as his body was covered in electricity. As the electricity dissipated, Flamedramon fell to the ground and the text "KNOCK OUT" appeared over him. The text "WINNER" began flashing over Wizardmon. Tap, who was among the crowd watching, could barely contain his excitement.

"What a great battle, Kaicu." Tap said, walking over to the Tamer of the Wizardmon.

"Thanks, Tap." Kaicu said. "It was close, that's for sure. I'm glad Wizardmon was able to pull through." The Tamer Kaicu defeated, a boy named Akio, walked over to them. "Akio, Flamedramon almost had me!"

"Don't worry," Akio laughed. "Flamedramon and I are going to train hard and we'll beat you next time!" As both Tamers went over to grab their V-Pets from their console controllers, Ryuu and Keiko were watching from afar. Keiko couldn't stop looking at Ryuu. During the last match, there was a fire in Ryuu's eyes that had not been there in quite some time. The thrill of battle was returning to him like an old friend.

"Are we happy we came?" Keiko said.

"It's crazy," Ryuu said, his eyes fixated on the 3D images of the Digital Monsters he and the others had fought beside. "I've been hearing about all this stuff for the past few years but never once wanted to try it myself."

"I think experiencing the _real_ thing may have something to do with it." Keiko said, keeping her voice down so nobody heard her. Though the battle with Ogudamon was televised, the identities of the humans who fought against him were surprisingly still a secret.

"I will say, Dracomon could have finished that fight three moves earlier than Wizardmon did." Ryuu said, crossing his arms. "Such sloppy tactics."

"Dracomon's also a **Royal Knight**." Keiko said. Ryuu was silent for a few moments.

"My point still stands."

"Okay, I'm next!" Tap shouted, walking up to the console controller. He pulled out the same golden cube from before, his Digimon V-Pet, and plugged it in. Zubamon's image appeared onscreen.

"I've never seen this Digimon before." Ryuu whispered to Keiko.

"Looks like a lot has changed since we've been to the Digital World." Keiko said.

"Who wants to go against me?" Ryuu said. Before anyone could say anything, a single hand shot into the air within the middle of the crowd. The crowd parted like the Red Sea and the dark-haired girl from the colosseum stood with a smile on her face. Tap was mildly shaken. There was something about her demeanor that startled him.

"Battle me." The girl said. Everyone was silent as she walked up to the console controller opposite Tap, her eyes fixated right on him.

"Uh, okay." Tap said, his bewildered face turning into a smile. "I'd be glad to." The girl pulled out two Digimon V-Pets: one pink with three silver buttons and the other black with white buttons. There were gasps coming from around the crowd.

"She has two Digimon?!"

"I wonder who her partners are!"

"Who is this girl?!"

"I didn't know someone could have two Digimon partners." Keiko said and Ryuu nodded in agreement. The mysterious girl put the black and white V-Pet back into her pocket and placed the pink and silver V-Pet into the console controller. The image of a girl in a white-and-gold dress appeared standing across from Zubamon. She was wearing what appeared to be a giant pink rabbit and was holding a golden triple-pronged lance.

"Meet Sistermon Blanc." The girl said.

 **SISTERMON (BLANC) – CHILD LEVEL – PUPPET TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"Speaking of meeting…" Tap said. "The name's Tap. This is my Zubamon." The girl nodded her head.

"I know who you are, Samezu Tap." She said, and Tap gasped in astonishment. "I've been watching you in the Rumble Arena and have been looking forward to battling you. My name is Kaori."

"That Digimon…" Keiko said, looking at Sistermon. Her warm smile radiated across the screen. "It looks like a little girl!"

"There has to be more to it than that…" Ryuu said.

"Kaori, huh?" Tap said. "Well if it's a battle you want, I won't disappoint!" As the two Tamers placed their hands onto the console controllers, the two Digimon faced each other and took off darting towards one another. "Your girly Digimon can't touch Zubamon!"

" _Twenty Dive!_ "

"Signature move right from the start?" Kaori smirked. "No problem for Sistermon!" Sistermon gracefully leapt into the sky, effectively dodging Zubamon's attack, and landed on the ground behind him. "Now, while he's distracted!"

" _Divine Pierce!_ "

Her expression changing to one of focus and determination, Sistermon rushed towards Zubamon with her lance and held it into the air, preparing to strike her enemy.

"Not that easy!" Tap said. Zubamon spun around and blocked Sistermon's lance with the blade on its head.

"That was close." Ryuu said. Zubamon and Sistermon broke off their attack.

" _20 Scratch!_ "

" _Protect Wave!_ "

Sistermon was able to project a wave of energy by stabbing the butt end of her lance into the ground, blocking Zubamon's own attack.

"Blocked again…" Tap said.

"C'mon…" Kaori smirked. "Where's the power that got you into the championship round of DMRA?" Tap gritted his teeth in frustration. Zubamon and Sistermon repeatedly clashed with each other; with Zubamon's claws striking Sistermon's lance.

"Sistermon's not giving Zubamon any openings." Keiko said. "She is not what I expected at all!" Ryuu's attention was no longer focused on the battle, but on Tap. He was gritting his teeth and both hands were balled into tight fists.

"Keep it up, Zubamon…!" Tap said, clenching his fists harder and harder. "I know you can do it!" Tap slammed his right fist into his left hand. For a brief second, his fist produced a bright golden glow. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, but not before it got the attention of a certain Digimon D-Tamer.

" _What was that…?!_ " Ryuu said to himself. _"Could it be…Digisoul? Here?_ "

"Go, Zubamon!" Tap cheered once more. "You are…the Twentiest!" At that instant, an aura of golden light erupted around Zubamon's body and he shot into the air and let out a glass-shattering battle cry.

"His power just shot up!" Keiko said. While all of this was happening, a smile was forming on Kaori's face.

"He _is_ the one." She muttered under her breath.

"Now, Zubamon!" Tap said. "Give it your all!"

" _Twenty Dive MAX!_ "

With an aura as bright and seemingly as powerful as the Sun surrounding him, Zubamon blasted down towards Sistermon.

"This will end it!"

" _ **Import.**_ "

A mysterious black vortex suddenly appeared in the center of the screen, causing everyone to gasp in astonishment. Zubamon stopped dead in his tracks as he and Sistermon were surprised as well.

"Whoa!"

"What's going on?!"

"A black hole?!"

"Is this part of the game?" Keiko said to Ryuu.

"I don't know…" He said back. The dark vortex began to pull both of the Digimon inside. "Keiko…I think a Digimon is behind this."

"Like an actual one?" Keiko said.

" _He's here_ …" Kaori bit her lip.

"Zubamon!" Tap cried out. "What's happening to him?!" It was not before long that both Digimon were fully submerged in the black vortex and it vanished, leaving an empty screen.

"Damn!" Kaori said. In a hustle, she grabbed her V-Pet from the console and took off running.

"Hey!" Tap said. He grabbed his V-Pet and began to chase after her. "What did you do to Zubamon?!"

"Keiko, let's go after her!" Ryuu said. Keiko nodded and the two took off. Kaori made her way outside of Taito Station and frantically looked around. This district seemed to be swarming with people. She knew she needed to get somewhere that was empty, like an alleyway or something. Kaori picked a direction and started running.

"Wait up!" Tap soon made it out of Taito Station and saw Kaori running. "Kaori, stop!" He ran after her, even as she stopped and darted down a barely lit alley. When Tap made it to the alley, he was surprised to see Kaori pointing what he assumed to be her V-Pet at a laptop screen. "What are you-?"

"Import!" Kaori said. A powerful light began to emerge from the laptop screen.

"Hey!" Kaori turned around to see Tap staring at her. "What's going on?!"

"Samezu Tap, I need you to come with me." Kaori said. "Come with me to a world unlike our own so we can get our Digimon back." Tap was confused. Digimon was just a game…right? None of it was real…or was it? At this point, there was only one way to find out for himself.

"Okay…" Tap said. He walked towards Kaori and he could suddenly feel the light begin to pull him. Its grip was hard, if impossible, to resist. He could feel himself being drawn closer and closer into the light of the computer screen.

"There!" Ryuu's voice called. He and Keiko appeared in the alleyway projecting the light show.

"Is that a…" Keiko said. "…a Digital Gate?"

"One way to find out!" Ryuu said. He and Keiko took off towards the light and leapt into the air. The light dragged all four of the teenagers in and finally faded into darkness.

 **xXx**

"Tap…Tap! Tap, wake up!"

Tap slowly began to come to. His eyes were fluttering open and he saw a bright blue sky in front of him. The towering buildings and streetlights of Shibuya were long gone. Peculiar birds were soaring above him and the clouds in the sky looked almost pixelated.

"Ugh, what happened?" Tap said, slowly sitting up. As he looked in front of him, he immediately jumped back at the sight of Zubamon standing right there gawking at him.

"You're alive!" Zubamon said. The biggest smile was on his face. "More importantly, you're here!"

"Here…?" Tap said, still confused as to what was going on. It was clear he wasn't in Shibuya anymore. The fact that a real-life Zubamon was standing in front of him was enough of a clue. If he wasn't in Shibuya…where was he? He then remembered Kaori's words:

" _Come with me to a world unlike our own_ _so we can get our Digimon back._ "

"A world unlike our own…" Tap said, looking around at the tropical jungle he was now in. "So this is the Digimon World, huh?"

"No one has called it that since 1999!" Zubamon said. "Welcome to the Digital World!"

"Digital World…" Tap repeated. He then remembered he followed Kaori into the weird light. "That girl! Kaori! Where is she?"

"Girl? Which one?" Zubamon said, pointing to Ryuu, Keiko, and Kaori's unconscious bodies.

"Huh?" Tap said, pointing at Ryuu and Keiko. "Who are those two?" As if on cue, Ryuu and Kaori began to wake up.

"So after all this time…" Ryuu said, looking around. "We're back." He looked down at Keiko, who was still out cold. "Hey Keiko…Keiko, wake up!" He began shaking her to wake her up as Kaori rose up to her feet.

"Looks like the transfer was a success." She said. "Tap, welcome to the Digital World."

"What's going on here?" Ryuu said. Keiko began to come to. "I didn't know other humans had access to this world."

"This world contains so much history that you can't even begin to fathom, Hachiro Ryuu." Kaori said.

"How do you know him?" Keiko said. "More to the point, who are you?"

"Kaesada Kaori." Kaori said. "Excuse me if I'm in a hurry, Mizumi Keiko, but I have to go and reclaim my Digimon."

"That's right." Tap said, looking at Zubamon. He began to remember the events which led them to the Digital World. "Something dark came on the screen at Taito Station and started sucking up our Digimon as they were fighting. What was that?"

"A new threat to the Digital World." Kaori said. "We don't know much about him except the title he goes by: 'The Mikado.'"

"The Mikado?" Keiko said. "I think I saw that show."

"This is serious." Kaori said. "The world you once knew and protected isn't here anymore." A question popped in Ryuu's mind, but he chose to refrain from asking it. Kaori turned to Tap and Zubamon. "I need your help. I was sent to test you and your abilities in battle and as a result, Sistermon is in the hands of the enemy."

"Uhh yeah, sure." Tap said. For the first time since they arrived in the Digital World, Kaori smiled. "I'm a little new at all this, though…"

"Judging by our battle in the Real World, you'll do just fine." Kaori said.

"Ahem…" Keiko said, and Kaori and Tap turned to face her and Ryuu. "You forget about us?"

"We're coming too!" Ryuu insisted. "If someone is threatening the security of the Digital World again, I won't turn my back on it!" While Kaori nodded, Tap glared at them.

"Hold on…" Tap said, pointing at them. "I don't even know who you two are!"

"That's no way to talk to your senpai." Keiko said teasingly.

"Hachiro Ryuu and Mizumi Keiko, this is Samezu Tap." Kaori said. "Tap, these two are Tamers who are responsible for saving the Digital World a few years ago."

"Whoa…" Tap said. He couldn't believe it. First, he's in the world of Digimon with his own real-life Digimon partner, but now there are real-life Digimon Tamers? Does that mean he was one too? Tap had so many questions. Ryuu stepped forward towards Tap, interrupting his thoughts.

"Looks like you're the only one here who can use a Digimon's power." Ryuu said. A smile formed on his face as he extended his hand towards Tap. "We're counting on you, kohai."

"Let's not get carried away." Tap laughed, shaking Ryuu's hand. Keiko smiled. The Digimon D-Tamers were back…sort of. The boys looked at Kaori. "Now, how do we find Sistermon?"

"The D-Soul Digivice." Kaori said, pulling out a Digivice that was like the ones Ryuu and Keiko had but matched the color scheme of the V-Pet that Sistermon Blanc came out of. "One of the functions it has is that it can track the signature of the partner associated with the Digivice." On the screen of Kaori's Digivice, the image of a star and a dot appeared. The dot was placed towards the top of the screen, whereas the star was closer to the bottom. "It says she's north of here."

"Alright, let's get going." Zubamon said. "Let's get Sistermon back!"

 **xXx**

"Mikado-sama…Mikado-sama…"

A human child about the same size as Tap was perched atop a giant crimson stag beetle; buzzing through the air and talking into a dark-colored wristband-resembling item around his left wrist. His long black hair matched the buttoned-up jacket he was wearing over his jeans.

"Klein, Kuwagamon X. report." A static-filled voice came from the other end.

 **KUWAGAMON X – ADULT LEVEL – INSECT TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"One of the target Digimon was able to escape my grasp." Klein said, looking to the Digimon Kuwagamon held in one of its claws. "That being said, we have Sistermon Blanc with us. She is unconscious."

"The other Digimon is Zubamon, correct?"

"Yes, sir." There was a brief pause of speech. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of Kuwagamon X's wings buzzing.

"You must retrieve the Zubamon, that is an order." The Mikado finally spoke. "The data that Digimon possesses is remarkably irreplaceable. Understood?"

"Understood." Klein X said.

"I don't think I need to remind you what happens when we fail..." The Mikado said. Klein shuddered a little bit before regaining his composure and responding.

"N-No, sir." He said. "It's all for the Analog X."

"For Analog X." The Mikado's voice echoed. "I expect victory." There was a beep. Kuwagamon spun around and headed back in the direction he was coming from. Unfortunately for Zubamon, there had been a change in plans.

 **xXx**

Tap, Zubamon, and the others were still trekking through jungle. Kaori was leading the charge while following the directions her Digivice was giving her. The group had probably been travelling for about fifteen minutes or so at this point. There was a smile forged on Ryuu's face for the entire trip. Wandering through the dense jungle and seeing the different kinds of Digimon everywhere made it seem like the old days again. He was once again in this world much different than his own; a world where he knew he could make a difference. There was just one thing missing.

"Are we there yet?" Tap said, apparently getting restless.

"Relax." Keiko said.

"How can I relax?" Tap said. "We've been walking for such a long time!"

"Uh, Tap…" Zubamon said, and Tap looked down to him. "It's only been fifteen minutes." Tap sweatdropped while Ryuu and Keiko struggled holding in their laughter. Tap merely shook his head and threw his fist in the air.

"Fifteen minutes too long!" He said. "I want to save Sistermon and get revenge on the jerk who tried to take you too."

"Ya know…" Keiko said, leaning over to Ryuu and whispering so only he could hear. "Now that I think about it, he's starting to remind me of a certain goggle-headed leader we had back in the day."

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Ryuu whispered back, looking from Tap and Zubamon back to Keiko. "Him? He seems so reckless and hotheaded…" Keiko paused for a second and just looked at him.

"Yep, nothing like you…"

"What's going on?" Kaori said, her eyes still glued to her Digivice. Ryuu and Keiko ran up to where she stopped walking and looked at the Digivice.

"What is it, Kaori?" Ryuu said.

"According to this, Sistermon Blanc is coming towards us." Kaori said, and everyone else gasped in confusion. "Fast, too!" The sound of buzzing soon began to fill the air. Ryuu could see a red blur approaching them in the distance from above.

"We've got company!" He said, pointing in the direction of the blur. Everyone looked up to see the arrival of Klein and Kuwagamon X. Kaori was more concerned with what Kuwagamon X held in its claw.

"Sistermon Blanc!" She cried. "Let her go now!"

"So you're the one who took Kaori's partner and tried to take Zubamon!" Tap said. "What gives?!"

" _Another_ human?!" Ryuu said. "Just what has been happening in this world?"

"Just following orders." Klein said before fixing his eyes on Zubamon. "Speaking of which, that Zubamon is coming with me."

"Like hell!" Tap barked. Keiko stared at the Kuwagamon Klein was perched on. She could tell there was something different about it compared to other Kuwagamon she has seen in the past. Its appearance was slightly different.

"It doesn't have to result in a fight, ya know." Klein said, looking over to Sistermon. "I wouldn't want something to happen to my _new_ friend…" That last comment began to make Kaori's blood boil.

" _Without a Digimon, Keiko and I are useless…_ " Ryuu gritted his teeth. He glanced over to Tap and Zubamon. " _Our fate is really in your hands, Samezu Tap._ "

"You're starting to piss me off!" Zubamon roared. "Tap, Whaddaya say I teach him a lesson?!"

"That goes without saying!" Tap said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Zubamon's V-Pet. He started furiously tapping the buttons. "Battle!"

"Yeah!" Zubamon cried, throwing his arms up in a battle position. A few moments passed by without anything happening, Zubamon to look around blankly. "Uh, Tap? What's your command?" Zubamon, Ryuu, Keiko, and Kaori turned to face Tap, who was still button-mashing on his V-Pet. They all fell to the ground.

"YOU IDIOT!" Keiko said. "LEAVE YOUR V-PET OUT OF THIS AND SEND VERBAL COMMANDS TO ZUBAMON!"

"…oh. That makes sense." Tap said while smiling.

" _Is he really one of us now_?" Ryuu said to himself.

"Why do I get the feeling you won't be a challenge at all?" Klein said, jumping off Kuwagamon X's back and landing on the ground right under him.

"I'll show you a challenge…" Tap said. "Zubamon, go around and aim for the back of his head!"

"Now yer talkin'!" Zubamon said. He leapt up into the air towards Kuwagamon, preparing to strike his head. Klein smirked.

"Counterattack." Kuwagamon X vanished in the same red blur as before. Everyone gasped at the Digimon's speed.

"Where'd he go?!" Tap said.

"He's fast!" Ryuu said. The red blur reappeared behind Zubamon and slammed into his back, slamming him into the sky. The Tamers could only watch as Kuwagamon flew up above where Zubamon's body was heading.

" _Crunch Arm!_ "

Kuwagamon X struck Zubamon with a swift strike of his left claw, sending him to crash into the ground.

"Zubamon!" Tap cried.

"Surely you can do better than that." Klein said. Tap glared at Klein.

"We're just getting started." He said. "Right, Zubamon?"

"Y-Yeah…!" Zubamon said, picking himself up. This battle was not over yet.

"I have a job to do and I don't feel like waiting all day." Klein said, crossing his arms. Kuwagamon X set Sistermon Blanc on the ground next to his Tamer and took off flying towards Zubamon with his pincers glowing.

" _Power Guillotine!_ "

"Here he comes!" Tap said. He knew he had to think of something fast or Zubamon would be toast! Tap began to think over all his partner's stats…offense, defense, speed, skill set…until it finally dawned on him. "Wait until the right moment…and then grab Kuwagamon!"

"What if Kuwagamon's attack slices him?!" Keiko said, alarmed.

"You got it, Tamer!" Zubamon roared, no questions asked. He glued his eyes on Kuwagamon X's encroaching presence. The closer his enemy got to him, the more adrenaline coursed through Zubamon's body. "Almost there…almost there…"

"Too dumb to evade my attack?" Klein said. "Sucks to be you!"

"Almost there…"

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Keiko said, turning away as Ryuu, Tap, and Kaori looked on.

"…now!"

" _20 Scratch!_ "

Just as Kuwagamon X's pincers were about to close in on Zubamon, his claws began to shine and he was able to grab the pincers, stopping Kuwagamon X dead in his tracks.

"You're kidding!" Klein said.

"Okay, that was impressive." Ryuu said as Tap started cheering.

"Yeah! Way to go, Zubamon!" Klein glared at him. This was not supposed to happen. An ordinary Child Level Digimon would have fallen from that attack. What makes Zubamon so different?

"You block one attack and you think you've won the fight?" Kuwagamon X sneered.

'Not yet!" Tap said. "Hit him again!"

"Understood!" Zubamon said. Using Kuwagamon X's pincers to hold him, Zubamon spun upside-down vertically, delivering a kick to the Insectoid Digimon's chin. Zubamon backed up and returned to his Tamer's side as Kuwagamon X took a few steps back in pain.

"Nice shot!" Keiko said. She was able to watch the battle again after Zubamon caught Kuwagamon X's pincers.

" _At last…_ " Kaori said to herself. " _This is the combo I saw in the DMRA_."

"You may have landed a few blows," Klein began, holding his Digivice out. It looked similar to the D-Soul Digivice but its color scheme consisted of the colors black and grey. "but Kuwagamon X's speed parameters are unrivaled among Adult Digimon! Your Child won't be able to measure up to it!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Zubamon said, running off towards Kuwagamon once more.

"Show 'em what we mean, Kuwagamon X." Klein said. His Digimon's body moved so quickly it became a scarlet streak once more and flew towards Zubamon.

" _Tai Atari!_ "

Kuwagamon X's body blow slammed right into Zubamon, knocking him over on his back.

"Zubamon, you okay?" Tap said, running to his partner.

"Damn, that speed…" Zubamon growled as Ryuu and Keiko ran over to him.

"If only Falcomon and the others were here to help out." Keiko said.

"No…" Tap said, slamming his fist into the ground. This surprised the former D-Tamers. "Zubamon and I are strong enough to take this creep…he'll pay for taking Sistermon from Kaori!" It was then that Ryuu remembered what happened back in Taito Station.

 _ **~FLASHBACK~**_

" _Sistermon's not giving Zubamon any openings." Keiko said. "She is not what I expected at all!" Ryuu's attention was no longer focused on the battle, but on Tap. He was gritting his teeth and both hands were balled into tight fists._

" _Keep it up, Zubamon…!" Tap said, clenching his fists harder and harder. "I know you can do it!" Tap slammed his right fist into his left hand. For a brief second, his fist produced a bright golden glow. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, but not before it got the attention of a certain Digimon D-Tamer._

" _What was that…?!" Ryuu said to himself. "Could it be…Digisoul? Here?"_

" _Go, Zubamon!" Tap cheered once more. "You are…the Twentiest!" At that instant, an aura of golden light erupted around Zubamon's body and he shot into the air and let out a glass-shattering battle cry._

 _ **~END FLASHBACK~**_

"That's it!" Ryuu said. Everyone turned to face him. "Tap, you need to use your Digisoul." Keiko gasped while Tap merely had a look of confusion on his face.

"He has Digisoul?" Keiko said.

"What the hell is a Digisoul?" Tap said.

"Someone—a friend—once told me that the Digisoul is the key to making miracles." Ryuu explained. "It's when your emotions are channeled into a Digimon's power." Tap and Zubamon looked at each other.

"My emotions…" Tap said.

"…become my power." Zubamon said.

"You may not realize it, but I saw you using it during your battle with Kaori in our world." Ryuu said. "You have to believe in your Digimon and use that power to beat Klein and Kuwagamon X!"

"If you're through chatting the day away…" Klein's voice interrupted Ryuu and Tap. He and Kuwagamon were staring at them. "I have orders and need your puny Digimon now."

"No…" Tap said, standing up and facing Klein and Kuwagamon X. "You won't be taking Zubamon away from me…and you won't be taking Sistermon from Kaori either. You wanna know why?"

"It's because Tap and I are gonna take you out right here and right now!" Zubamon said, standing up beside his Tamer.

"Oh, please." Klein said. "You're no match for my Digimon's speed. It's over; you might as well surrender."

"You're wrong…" Tap said, clenching his fists together. "We will never surrender; we'll never be outdone!" Much like before, Tap's right fist was engulfed with a bright golden light, much to the surprise of everyone around them.

"He has a Digisoul?!" Klein said. "The Mikado won't like this…"

"… _The Mikado…_ " Kaori said, glaring at both Klein and Kuwagamon X. " _I knew it. He's with him…_ "

"Tap, you did it!" Zubamon cheered, pointing at Tap's glowing fist. "I think you have the Digisoul!"

"I guess I do, huh?" Tap said, looking at his fist. He turned to face Ryuu and Keiko, who were standing behind him now. "What now?"

"Take out your V-Pet and slam your hand onto it." Ryuu explained. "When you do, shout out the phrase 'Digisoul Charge!'"

"Like Hell!" Klein said, throwing his finger into the air. "Kuwagamon X, finish 'em off!" Kuwagamon X nodded and took off blazing towards the others. Tap reached into his pocket and pulled out his golden V-Pet once more.

"I hope this works…" He said before doing what he was told and slamming his shining hand onto the top of it. " _Digisoul Charge!_ " As the energy from Tap's hand filled the V-Pet, it began to glow. The energy began to pour out of the V-Pet screen and flew into Zubamon's body.

"I can feel Tap's power…" Zubamon said. "It's flowing through me!"

" _Scissor Arms!_ "

Kuwagamon X continued charging towards Zubamon. The Weapon Digimon, whose body was now shining the same color as Tap's Digisoul, leapt into the air and blasted off towards Kuwagamon X headfirst.

" _Twenty Dive!_ "

Much like in the battle with Musyamon, Zubamon zoomed right through Kuwagamon X's body with the blade on its head. Kuwagamon X stopped dead in his tracks, much to the chagrin of Klein. Seconds later, the Insectoid Digimon burst into pieces of data.

"MY KUWAGAMON!" Klein shouted. The swirling data particles started to fly into Klein's Digivice as Zubamon landed on the ground next to the unconscious Sistermon behind Klein. The rogue Tamer was now surrounded on both sides.

"It's over, Klein." Tap said. "We're taking Sistermon back." Klein bit his lip. There was nothing he could do without a Digimon partner to aid him. For now, he would have to retreat. He just hoped the Mikado would be in one of his more understanding moods upon his emptyhanded return.

"This ain't over." Klein said, pointing his Digivice at the sky. "Export!" Klein instantly vanished before everyone's eyes. Kaori took the opportunity to run over to her unconscious Digimon.

"Sistermon…" She said as she reached her partner. Sistermon Blanc's eyes slowly started to open and she looked on her Tamer's face.

"K-Kaori…" Sistermon Blanc said as her mouth formed into a smile.

"Don't try to talk." Kaori said, pulling out her Digivice. "Get in my Digivice so you can get some rest." Sistermon Blanc nodded as her body became a wave of zeroes and ones before floating into Kaori's Digivice.

"Well Tap, good job!" Keiko said, patting him on the back. "You've definitely made your seniors proud today!"

"That was so much different than battling on the Net." Tap smiled. "It felt so real! So awesome!"

"Tap!" Tap turned around as Zubamon ran towards him.

"Zubamon! You were awesome out there!" Tap and Zubamon grabbed each other's hands as a sign of respect.

"It was all thanks to you and your Digisoul." Zubamon said. "That's how I was able to finally match that Kuwagamon's speed." As Tap and Zubamon continued cheering on the other and Keiko laughed watching them, Ryuu remained silent. Although he was glad things were resolved and Kaori got her Partner Digimon back, there were just so many questions on his mind: how did that Klein guy get a Digivice, or get into the Digital World for that matter? If Klein was able to reach the Digital World, how many other humans were in this world as well? Who was this guy Kaori referred to as "The Mikado?" And at the top of his list: If the Digital World was in danger once more, where were the Royal Knights? Where was Dracomon?

"Thank you all." Kaori's praise interrupted Ryuu's thoughts. "I wouldn't have been able to get Sistermon back without you three."

"No problem!" Tap and Zubamon said at the same time.

"Kaori, I—" Keiko began, but Kaori held up her hand.

"I bet you three have a lot of questions." Kaori correctly assumed, to which Ryuu and Keiko nodded their heads in agreement.

"My only question is when can we do that again?!" Zubamon said. "I like that 'Digisoul Charge' stuff!"

"I would love to answer them all, but…" Kaori said, looking at her Digivice. "It has already been such a long day. Now that Sistermon is back, I think we should rest for now and meet up tomorrow. I'll explain everything."

"I'm cool with that." Tap said. "I need to get ready for the DMRA match anyways. Wait until they get a load of my Digisoul?"

"I'm not sure there's a Digisoul function in the Digital Monster Rumble Arena game." Keiko laughed.

"What am I supposed to do while you all are in the Human World?" Zubamon said, his voice containing a tone of sadness.

"Uh, duh…" Tap said, putting his hand on Zubamon's back. "You're coming with me!" Zubamon's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"REALLY?! I CAN?! I GET TO GO TO THE HUMAN WORLD!" Ryuu and Keiko couldn't help but chuckle. This was all so nostalgic for them.

"Is everybody ready?" Kaori said. Ryuu, Keiko, Tap, and Zubamon nodded. Kaori held her Digivice to the sky. "Export!" A stream of light appeared out of Kaori's Digivice and it began to generate a portal. One-by-one, the Digimon D-Tamers were yanked inside until everyone was gone. The portal remained for several moments before vanishing.

 **xXx**

"Hachiro Ryuu and Mizumi Keiko, welcome back to the world of Digimon…time to join the game."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX**

 **D-2:**

(責任) **Sekinin (Responsibility)**


	2. D2: (責任) Sekinin (Responsibility)

_Three years had passed since Ryuu-tachi saved both the Human and Digital Worlds by defeating Ogudamon and his Nightmare Soldiers in the Holy War. The newest online game, Digital Monster Rumble Arena, has been sweeping the nations and bringing V-Pet Tamers across the globe together to battle each other in the 3D Net World._

 _One such Tamer, Samezu Tap, is brought into the Digital World to help Knesaka Kaori retrieve her Partner Digimon, Sistermon, who is taken by a mysterious Tamer named Klein and his Kuwagamon X. They are joined by veterans Ryuu and Keiko. Zubamon, Tap's partner Digimon, is able to defeat Kuwagamon X after Tap both activates and charges his Digisoul for the first time._

 _Digisoul, Charge into the next adventure…!_

 **xXx**

 _My name is Samezu Tap._

 _When I woke up this morning, I didn't think all the stuff that happened yesterday actually happened…_

 _That the Digital World was an actual place…_

 _That I could went and met my real partner, Zubamon…_

 _That our Tamer/Partner combination was strong enough to bring out something called Digisoul…_

… _but then I saw this guy at the foot of my bed._

"MORNING, TAAAP!"

Zubamon's voice rang through Tap's ears as he shot out of bed. He looked in front of him and instead of seeing his bipedal cape-bearing Partner, there was another Digimon in his place. This Digimon, although the same color as Zubamon, was significantly smaller. His body was completely round with two blades on either side of his body.

"Oh, right." Tap said, scratching the back of his head. "You didn't come back as Zubamon out of the gate. You're Saka…uh…Sa…hm, what was your name again?"

"Dummy…it's Sakuttomon!"

 **SAKUTTOMON – BABY II LEVEL – WEAPON TYPE – NO ATTRIBUTE**

"R-right…" Tap smiled. "That was my next guess." Sakuttomon gave Tap a look of disbelief.

"Oh come on," He said. "I can remember your name. Why can't you remember mine?"

"Well, mine only has one syllable." Tap said, laughing. He picked up Sakuttomon and held him closer. "I'm pretty sure I can't even spell 'Sakuttomon.'"

"Akanbe!" Sakuttomon said, sticking his tongue out. Tap couldn't help but wonder how this little pipsqueak was the same Digimon that took down both Musyamon and that colossal Kuwagamon yesterday. 

"CRAP!" Tap shouted out. The sudden outburst frightened Sakuttomon, causing him to jump out of his Tamer's grasp and back to his original position on the end of the bed.

"What's wrong?" Sakuttomon said. He looked around frantically, gearing up for battle. "Is it the enemy?!"

"The DMRA Championship!" Tap said, looking at the time on the clock on the wall in front of him. The time was 8:53. "It's in seven minutes! I need to log on…hold on." Tap pulled out his V-Pet from his pocket and saw that the screen was blank. "Just as I thought: Sakuttomon, with you in my world the V-Pet is blank! How are we going to win the championship now?!"

"Can't I just go back into the V-Pet?" Sakuttomon said. Tap began to think. He remembered that girl he met yesterday, Kaori, allowing her partner Sistermon to enter her Digivice. Could the same be done with the V-Pet?

"Maybe it was something Kaori said yesterday." Tap said, thinking. "Realize…Enter…Re: Digitize…Export…Import…" A flash of light erupted from Tap's V-Pet. Tap could only watch as Sakuttomon's body started to become data, shown as 0s and 1s. The data started to flow right into Tap's V-Pet as the light faded. "Huh? Sakuttomon?" Tap looked at the screen of his V-Pet. The blank screen was now replaced with a pixelated image of Sakuttomon smiling back at Tap. "You're back! Awesome…next stop, the DMRA Championship!"

 **xXx**

 **DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX**

 **D-2:**

(責任) **Sekinin (Responsibility)**

 **xXx**

It was dawn in the Digital World. The sky, while still maintaining its pixelated appearance, was now filled with bright orange and yellow colors. It was almost as if the sky was on fire. The tall, grey buildings of Factorial Town towered over Kaori as she lay still and silent against a skyscraper. Her face was calm; her eyes were closed as she held her Digivice to her chest. It was if she was just waiting…waiting for the proper moment.

"No use hiding, we know you're here!"

A trio of gun-wielding Digimon were walking about in the open area of Factorial Town. While they each carried pistols in both hands and a ten-gallon hat to match their boots, they all had the body of a gun barrel.

 **DEPUTYMON – ADULT LEVEL – MUTANT TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"If you come out now, we'll go easy on you." One of the Deputymon said. The three were all facing the direction that Kaori was hiding. They had chased her into this town and were able to pursue her this far.

"Now, now…" A figure stepped in front of the Deputymon trio. "You're too soft." The new Digimon was considerably taller than the three Deputymon. It had the appearance of a large bunny with black and tan fur. It wore a strap of ammo around its chest and jeans on its legs. The large bunny Digimon pointed its Vulcan arms toward the building Kaori was hiding behind.

 **BLACKGARGOMON – ADULT LEVEL – BEAST MAN TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

A couple moments of silence passed by; no one said anything. A sadistic smirk appeared on BlackGaogamon's face.

"Light her ass up!"

The Deputymon all rushed in front of BlackGargomon and aimed their pistols in Kaori's direction. A human hand suddenly shot up. The Deputymon held their fire as Kaori moved out into the open, her hands raised in the air.

"Well, that wasn't so hard…" BlackGargomon said. "You've got a lot of guts coming here, human."

"What do you want with me?" Kaori said.

"Word on the street is some humans and a Digimon messed with one of the Mikado's operations yesterday." BlackGargomon said. "He ain't too happy, so there's a bounty out for any humans scum not working for him."

"So…" Kaori smirked. "You're just in it for the money. Of course, I get caught by some low-lives."

"This one's got a mouth on her." One of the Deputymon said. BlackGargomon laughed and his eyes met Kaori's. She could tell he was clearly the head of this little group of bounty hunters even though they were all Adult Level Digimon.

"I kinda like it." Another Deputymon said. "Say, instead of turning her in-"

"I'm not letting another one of our bounties become another one of your playthings." BlackGargomon said, smacking that Deputymon on the head.

"Poor Bastemon…"

"If you lot are finished," Kaori said, her smile fading into a scowl. "I'm actually on a bit of a clock; I'm meeting some friends after this…"

"I'm sorry." BlackGargomon said as the Deputymon spread out to surround Kaori. "You will be with us for quite some time."

"I think a friend of mine might have something to say about that…" Kaori said. "…right, Sistermon?"

At that moment, the sound of a gunshot filled the air as one of the Deputymon fell to the ground. BlackGargomon and the other two Deputymon looked around to find the source of the attack. Kaori smiled as the Deputymon who was shot was beginning to dissolve into data.

"We have company…" One of the remaining two Deputymon said. As another gunshot narrowly missed BlackGargomon and the two Deputymon, Kaori saw this as her moment finally arriving. She kicked the guns out of the hands of one Deputymon. The pistols fell to the ground and Kaori grabbed the unarmed Deputymon, wrapping her arm around its neck and using it as a shield against the remaining bounty hunters.

"Plan your next move wisely." Kaori said. BlackGargomon glared at Kaori. She was becoming more troublesome with every passing moment. It was no doubt that the Mikado would pay a great amount for her capture.

"Deputymon, watch my six." BlackGargomon said. Nodding, Deputymon turned around and began scanning the area with its eyes. Their attacker was nowhere in sight. BlackGargomon kept his eyes fixed on Kaori. "So I take it your Digimon pet is planning on taking my guys out from afar so you can escape." Kaori said nothing. She merely continued glaring at BlackGargomon. "Only one thing wrong with your little plan: what's to stop me from blasting your brains out? Just because you have one of my crew? If he dies, that just means more of the reward for me."

"You're vile." Kaori hissed. BlackGargomon raised its right Vulcan arm towards Kaori.

"B-BlackGargomon…" The captive Deputymon said.

"You're naïve." BlackGargomon said. He fired a bullet with his Gatling Arm and it pierced Deputymon's forehead, instantly deleting him. Kaori gasped. "Your shield is gone. Can we end this game of cat-and-mouse?"

"No, I still have someone who wants to play." Kaori said. "Sistermon Blanc, export!" A light erupted from Kaori's Digivice and out shot Sistermon Blanc. The bunny-resembling Digimon struck BlackGargomon in the face with its lance before landing on the ground. The Deputymon that was guarding BlackGargomon spun around and aimed for Sistermon Blanc.

"Don't move!" it cried.

" _Bless Fire!"_

A straight line of bullets soared through the sky and shot through the final Deputymon's body. Dropping its pistols, Deputymon fell to the ground before becoming data itself.

"Another Digimon?!" BlackGargomon said, the scar from Sistermon Blanc's lance still fresh on its face.

"There's a little something you overlooked, BlackGargomon." Kaori said, pointing her Digivice at BlackGargomon. With her other hand, she pulled out something else from her pocket. It turned out to be another Digivice, this one bearing a black and white color scheme. "While you were right in assuming my Digimon was out on overwatch, you didn't know that I have two Partner Digimon!"

"Damn you…!" BlackGargomon said. "You had this planned from the start…"

"Can I finish this guy off, Kaori?" Sistermon Blanc said.

"I think we're good." Kaori smiled. She stepped towards BlackGargomon. "This is a message: stay out of my way." Kaori turned around and began to walk away. "Let's get out of here."

"No…" BlackGargomon growled. "I-I…I won't forgive you!" BlackGargomon shot up to his feet and aimed both of its Gatling Arms at Kaori and Sistermon Blanc. "Screw the bounty…time to die!"

" _Gatling…_ "

A dark-colored blur struck BlackGargomon in the chest, knocking him back onto the ground. The blur bounced back to where Kaori and Sistermon Blanc were standing. It revealed itself to be a human-resembling Digimon, much like Sistermon Blanc. She was wearing a black klobuk and a black dress like a religious habit. There were also two guns in her hands.

 **SISTERMON NOIR – ADULT LEVEL – PUPPET TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"Hmmn, I changed my mind." Kaori said as she continued walking. "You guys can finish him off." BlackGargomon only watched as both Sistermon started approaching him.

" _Divine Pierce!_ "

" _Mickey Bullet!_ "

Kaori continued walking as an explosion happened behind her. A few moments later, two beams of light soared from the explosion into both of Kaori's Digivices.

"Good work, guys." Kaori said.

"My appearance was limited this time…" Sistermon Blanc said.

"Kaori, we need stronger opponents next time!" Sistermon Noir's cheerful voice rang.

"No need to worry about that." Kaori said. "Let's head back to the castle."

 **xXx**

"A golden Digisoul?!"

That same Saturday morning, Ryuu was still in his room despite being awake for several hours already. In his continued celebrations of not having to be in school today, he was sitting on his bed. Clad in a sleeveless black shirt and jeans, Ryuu was looking at his laptop on his lap. He was on a video chat with an old friend, Masato Kenji. Like Keiko, Kenji was an original member of the Digimon D-Tamers. Ryuu was currently filling Kenji in on the events that took place in the Digital World yesterday.

"Yep, it was as bright as the sun." Ryuu explained to his old friend. "Tap's Digimon, Zubamon, was then able to kick this new Tamer's butt sky high!"

"Impressive." Kenji said. "So the Digital World is in danger again from this 'Mikado' guy, huh? I wish I still had my Digivice so I could help you guys."

"I wish you guys did too." Ryuu said. "Even though I still have mine, it's not like I can do anything with Dracomon in the Royal Knights now." Kenji let out a sigh.

"Another thing…" He said after a slight pause, trying to change the subject. Ryuu knew that Kenji missed his own Partner Digimon, Leormon, but would not be one to admit it. "First this guy with the Kuwagamon, then this new girl and then the guy with the Zubamon?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing." Ryuu nodded. "Where are all these Tamers coming from?"

"Exactly." Kenji said. "Suddenly, it's not so special to have a Digimon anymore."

"We sound like we're senior citizens." Ryuu said, chuckling a little bit. "Digimon Tamers today have it easy. Back in my day-"

"Shut up." Kenji said. Ryuu stuck his tongue out at him. "You're impossible."

"Looks like you haven't changed a bit either, Kenji." Ryuu said. "I thought living in Hakone now was supposed to set you straight."

"Heh, you wish." Kenji said. "You need to continue investigating this 'Mikado' case. You said you and Keiko were meeting with that new girl today?"

"Yeah." Ryuu nodded. "We're meeting in Shinjuku Gyoen."

"Alright, then I will leave this case to you." Kenji said, pointing at Ryuu. "Don't screw it up, idiot."

"Never! I-" Ryuu stopped mid-sentence when he saw the hesitant look on Kenji's face. A smile formed on Ryuu's face. "If I see Leormon, I'll let you know too." Kenji looked Ryuu in the eyes and quickly shook away any sign of care from his facial expression.

"I have to go." Kenji said. "I'm counting on you, Ryuu."

"I won't let you down, Kenji!" Ryuu said, throwing his fist in the air. A smile appeared on Kenji's face as he nodded. The call ended. Ryuu closed his laptop and set it aside. Given how much of a jerk Kenji seemed to be when they first met three years ago, he had really come a long way. The Tamer who hunted Dracomon down and the Tamer whose emotions summoned a Digimon like Chaosmon seemed like two different people. Ryuu climbed out of bed and walked over to his cupboard. Opening it, he saw a familiar sight: his own goggles.

" _Kenji-tachi can't fight the Digital World's latest threat…_ " Ryuu thought. He picked up the goggles and put them on his head. " _I will be their sword and shield; I will fight for them when they can't. I will fight for and protect the Digital World._ " Ryuu grabbed his school gakuran and threw it over his shoulders. " _Let's do this!_ "

 **xXx**

"Thank you for coming, guys."

The Shinjuku Gyoen was one of Tokyo's largest parks, complete with well-manicured shrubs, forests of flowering cherry trees, and a few large ponds with island bridges. Despite it only been around lunch time, the park was filled with so many people admiring the beautiful scenery. Kaori was sitting on a blanket sitting across from Ryuu and Keiko. Kaori was wearing a grey hoodie with jeans while Keiko was in a white shirt and a navy-blue skirt.

"I was in the neighborhood." Keiko waved.

"Tap's not here…" Ryuu said, looking around.

"Some new Tamer, already late to our first meeting." Keiko scoffed.

"He'll be here." Kaori said. "How was it being back in the Digital World again?"

"Honestly, it was like I never left." Keiko said, smiling and looking up into the sky. The memories began flowing back into her head like a waterfall. "The pixelated sky, the way the water feels, and even the smell…it all came back just like that."

"My Digivice stopped working after a while." Ryuu said, pulling it out. "I wasn't able to open the gate to the Digital World anymore."

"At least you still have a Digivice." Keiko added.

"My theory on that is your purpose in the Digital World was done for the moment." Kaori said. "Once the threat was eliminated, you weren't needed and, so it was closed off to you." Ryuu and Keiko looked at each other before turning back to Keiko.

"You talk as though the Digital World has… _feelings_." Ryuu said. "Like a stream of consciousness or something."

"…does it?" Keiko said.

"Even I don't know _everything_ about that world." Kaori slightly chuckled. "I only first went there a couple of months ago."

"WAAAAAAIIIIIITTT!" Ryuu, Keiko, and Kaori turned around to see Tap hastily dashing towards them, complete with Sakuttomon tucked under his arms. He was wearing a light blue jacket with a red and black striped shirt underneath along with a pair of jeans.

"Look who showed up." Kaori smirked. Tap crashed onto the blanket next to Kaori.

"S-S-Sorry, I'm late." Tap said, desperately catching his breath. By the look on her face, Tap noticed that Keiko was not impressed.

"Hey, Tap." Ryuu said. His attention shifted to Sakuttomon, who poked his head from under Tap's arm.

"Tap!" He cried. "Can I stop pretending to be a toy now?!"

"Zubamon degenerated when coming to this world, right?" Keiko said. Tap's expression became blank.

"Uh, yeah." Tap said. "How did you know?"

"Been there, done that." Ryuu smiled and Keiko nodded.

"Take a seat and we can explain everything." Kaori said. Tap shrugged and he sat up. Sakuttomon sat in Tap's lap as the conversation continued. "I just want to thank you guys again for helping me rescue Sistermon yesterday."

"No problem!" Sakuttomon said with a big grin on his face. "If that Kuwaga-freak comes back again, just leave him to me!"

"Now don't get mad, but I have to tell you something…" Kaori reached into her pockets and pulled out a Digivice in each hand, much to the surprise of everyone else.

"Two Digivices?!" Ryuu said. "T-Then, that means…"

"Of course!" Tap said, followed by moments of silence. Everyone turned to face him. "Eh…I've got nothing." Everyone else fell to the ground.

"You moron…" Keiko said, smacking her forehead in disgust. "She has two Digimon partners!" Kaori placed her Digivices on the blanket in the center of everyone and everyone looked down. On both screens there was a sprite of a Digimon hopping up and down and waving.

"Sistermon Blanc and Sistermon Noir, at your service." Kaori smiled.

"Wait, whaa?!" Tap instantly rose back up. "Hold on a sec…if you had two partners, then where was your other partner when Kuwagamon attacked?"

"Sorry about that." Kaori said. "I was told to test you to see if you were worthy of being a Digimon Tamer. Looks to me like you passed."

"A test?" Sakuttomon said, looking up at Kaori.

"Kaori…who are you?" Keiko said. Ryuu, Keiko, Tap, and Sakuttomon all looked at Kaori as she began her tale.

"My name is Kaesada Kaori and I have been a Digimon Tamer for the past six months." Kaori explained. "I remember one day, I was on my computer and I got a weird PM asking if I wanted to be a crusader for peace in a world unlike my own."

"You just said 'yes?'" Tap said.

"Things are…" Kaori paused before she continued. "… _complicated_ at home. If it meant getting away, I was all for it. I said yes and before I knew it, I was pulled into the Digital World. That's when I met the Sistermon."

"Who sent you the PM in the first place?" Ryuu said. "Was it HolyAngemon-sama?" Kaori shook her head.

"It was a Digimon who goes by the name of Sanzomon." She said. Ryuu and Keiko looked at each other, both confused and not recognizing the name.

"I-I know that name!" Everyone looked down at Sakuttomon in surprise when he called out.

"You do, Sakkakumon?" Tap said.

" _ **Sakuttomon**_." Sakuttomon said. "Yeah, she is a Monk Digimon and can use a lot of different abilities through chanting sutras."

"Maybe that's how Sanzomon brought you to the Digital World." Keiko said. "I just didn't know that Digimon themselves could open up gates. I thought you needed a Digivice."

"HolyAngemon-sama sent me back to the Human World one time." Ryuu pointed out. "It's definitely possible."

"Soon after I met the Sistermon, Sanzomon appeared before me." Kaori said. "She isn't exactly a deity like the Royal Knights or HolyAngemon; she just wants to see change in the Digital World and bring it back to peace. That's why she enlisted me."

"So what have you guys been doing all this time?" Tap said.

"What we can." Kaori said. "We don't know how but the Mikado is bringing humans into the Digital World and having them fight for him, like that guy yesterday."

"That 'Klein' bastard." Tap said, scowling.

"Earlier, you said you were testing Tap." Keiko brought up. "What for?"

"The Mikado's conquest was getting harder to stop." Kaori said. "Sanzomon said it was time to recruit another human to our resistance. That's when I found out about Tap and Sakuttomon at the DMRA…but who knew I would find two of the Digimon D-Tamers along with him?" The other Digimon D-Tamers were silent, still trying to digest Kaori's story.

"What about the Royal Knights?" Ryuu said. Keiko grabbed Ryuu's wrist in a form of comfort. "Why aren't they helping?"

"…well, that's the thing…" Kaori began, facing the ground. "The Royal Knights are gone." Ryuu's eyes briefly widened before closing shut. "They haven't been seen in a few months. It was like they vanished…all thirteen of them."

"The Royal Knights?" Tap said. "What are they?"

"They are the highest ranked security of the Digital World." Keiko whispered. "One of them was Ryuu's partner Digimon."

"Dracomon…" Ryuu said, still with his eyes closed. Tap and Sakuttomon looked at Ryuu and saw how grief-stricken he was. The sight made Tap sick to his stomach.

"We'll find him." Ryuu looked up and faced Tap, who suddenly had a determined look on his face. He held his fist up towards his face. "I promise you: we'll find your lost partner and bring him back."

"Kohai…" Ryuu said. A smile began to form on his face and he nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

"We need to figure out the Mikado's plan so we can put a stop to it." Kaori said.

"It's hard to believe there's another human out there trying to take over the Digital World." Keiko said, scratching her head. "We met some bad Tamers back then but they weren't this bad."

"I won't let this bastard mess up my world!" Sakuttomon said. He looked up at Tap. "Tamer, we're going to kick his ass!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" Tap said. "We're going to reunite Ryuu-senpai with Dracomon and then we're going to protect the Digimon World!" Kaori smiled. The plan was all coming together. There was hope for both worlds yet.

"Kaori," Ryuu said. "What's our next move? You and Tap are the only ones with Digimon power, after all."

"Let's meet up with Sanzomon in the Digital World." Kaori said. "I know she would love to meet you three in person."

 **xXx**

"Terriermon…"

A small Digimon was wondering through the seemingly endless Factorial Town. It resembled a brown-shaded bunny with three horns. This was Lopmon.

 **LOPMON – CHILD LEVEL – BEAST TYPE – DATA ATTRIBUTE**

"Terriermon! Terriermon!" Lopmon cried out, hopelessly wandering through the industrial-looking city. "Where could he be? Terriermon!" Because of how long he had been searching, his movements were progressively becoming sluggish. His eyes were stained with drying tears and his breathing was heavy. Over time, Lopmon reached the outskirts of the Factorial Town. In front of him was a mountain looking like it was made from different kinds of trash and scraps.

"You look lost." Lopmon turned around to see a cloaked figure staring down at him. "Are you alright, little one?"

"N-No…" Lopmon said, trying to wipe his tears away. "No, I'm not. Who are you?" The cloaked figure removed the cloak from his head and revealed his face.

"My name is CresGarurumon." The Digimon said. "Nice to meet you."

 **CRESGARURUMON – ULTIMATE LEVEL – BEAST KNIGHT TYPE – DATA ATTRIBUTE**

"Hi…" Lopmon said.

"What's wrong?" CresGarurumon said.

"M-My name is Lopmon and I-I was looking for my twin, Terriermon." Lopmon explained, fighting back more tears. "I've been looking all day and…and…I c-can't find him!"

"Oh, I see." CresGarurumon said. "I-I think I found something you may want to see." Lopmon looked up and CresGarurumon began pulling something out of his cloak. It was a white and green Digi-egg. "It was under some rubble at the entrance of Factorial Town."

"No…it's him." Lopmon said, his tears returning. "Nichan…"

"I'm sorry, little one." CresGarurumon said. Lopmon erupted into full-fledged crying. "What if I said I was able to tell you who did this?" After a few more moments of crying, Lopmon stopped.

"Y-You know who hurt my brother…?" Lopmon said. His breathing began to intensify and CresGarurumon could see a glimmer of anger awaken within the small Digimon.

"Some of the local Digimon said it was a human girl with some female Digimon." CresGarurumon said. "They were sisters."

"Sisters…" Lopmon began to growl. CresGarurumon smirked. "Unforgivable…that's…unforgivable…" A purple-shaded aura began to surround Lopmon and the expression on his face became increasingly livid.

"That is unforgivable, isn't it?" CresGarurumon said. "You need to avenge your brother and destroy these girls; show them how much they hurt you."

"They hurt me…!" Lopmon said. CresGarurumon watched as Lopmon's entire body began to glow with dark energy and it began to expand. When the dark energy faded, a large bipedal creature was in its place. He bore the same three horns that Lopmon had, but was now covered in brown and scarlet fur.

 **WENDIGOMON – ADULT LEVEL – BEAST MAN TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"Sisters will pay…" Wendigomon growled. "…they will PAY!" CresGarurumon smiled at this new development.

"The Mikado will be pleased…"

 **xXx**

The familiar vortex of light opened up in the entrance to Factorial Town as Ryuu, Keiko, Tap, and Zubamon tumbled out. Kaori hopped out of the portal before it vanished; the other Tamers picking themselves up from their fall.

"That's gonna take some getting used to…" Tap said.

"At least I'm back to Zubamon now." Zubamon said and Tap nodded.

"Where are we?" Keiko said.

"This is the last location that my Digivice registered before I came to meet you all." Kaori said, looking around. "Welcome to Factorial Town."

"I don't think I've been here before." Ryuu said, looking around. There were skyscrapers towering over them and in the distance, he could see the entrance to a large factory.

"Sistermons, export." Kaori said, holding her Digivices out. A black-and-white flash of light emit from both of her Digivices and out came her two Digimon partners. Ryuu-tachi were surprised; this was the first appearance of the two Sistermon for them, after all.

"They do look like sisters." Keiko said, examining both of Kaori's Digimon partners.

"Thank you for your help the other day." Sistermon Blanc said to Zubamon.

"No problem!" Zubamon said, blushing.

"Yeah, thanks." Sistermon Noir said. "Because of you, I didn't have to save her myself."

"Two Digimon partners, huh?" Tap said. "That's pretty cool." As Tap admired Kaori's Digimon partners, Keiko felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see Ryuu holding her and she leaned over to him.

"What's up?"

"Is everything okay between you and Tap?" Ryuu said in a low voice. Keiko hesitated. "I knew it. You've been kind of hard on him a bit."

"I have my reasons." Keiko whispered back.

"That hardly seems fair." Ryuu said.

"I don't think he takes all this seriously, especially with that carefree attitude."

"Keiko…"

"Now that we're back in the Digital World," Kaori began, interrupting Ryuu and Keiko while she was surveying their surroundings. "We should contact Sanzomon…" Kaori's eyes met with a gear-shaped Digimon. There was fear in its eyes as it was cowering under some debris.

"What are you staring at?" Tap said, looking at Kaori. He followed the path that she was staring and saw the gear-shaped Digimon. "Whoa!" Ryuu, Zubamon, Keiko, and the Sistermon turned to see what they were looking at. "Is that a Digimon too?"

"That's right." Zubamon said. "Its name is Hagurumon."

 **HAGURUMON – CHILD LEVEL – MACHINE TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"What's it doing out here?" Keiko said. Hagurumon looked from Kaori to the Sistermon and panic erupted in its eyes.

"DON'T HURT ME!" Hagurumon shouted. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Hagurumon sped off away from the D-Tamers. Kaori's eyes narrowed for a brief second before returning to normal.

"Scaredy cat." Tap said.

"I wonder what they were freaking out about." Keiko said. Ryuu's gaze shifted to Kaori.

"It was afraid of you." Everyone turned to look at Kaori.

"Kaori…" Tap said.

"Hagurumon was looking right at you and was completely frightened." Ryuu said. "Why would he be frightened of you?" There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"I did what I had to." Kaori said, looking at one of her Digivices. The two Sistermon nodded as they joined their Tamer's side.

" _ **You will pay…you will pay…**_ " A sinister voice echoed through all their ears, disrupting their thoughts.

"Where did that voice come from?!" Tap said, looking around. A feral expression formed on Zubamon's face.

"Tap…" He growled. "It's here." Ryuu looked at his partner Digimon in confusion.

"What's here?"

"A Digimon is nearby." Sistermon Blanc said. She and Sistermon Noir both drew out their weapons. A gust of wind began to enter the area, startling the Digimon D-Tamers. They were shocked as the wind began to take the shape of a large, beast-like Digimon. Wendigomon had appeared in front of the D-Tamers.

"We've got company." Kaori said, pulling out one of her Digivices. "The enemy is Wendigomon: the Mythological Beast!" Kaori made eye contact with Wendigomon; she couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something familiar about this newcomer.

"RAAAAARRR!" Wendigomon said.

"What a time to not have our Digimon with us." Keiko gritted her teeth. A smile formed on Ryuu's face.

"Our juniors will take care of this." The gogglehead said. Tap grinned.

"Zubamon, it's up to us!"

"That's all you had to say, partner!" Zubamon said. In a burst of light, he took off towards Wendigomon.

"Sistermons, back Zubamon up." Kaori said. Both Sistermon nodded before they sprung into action. All three Digimon charged for Wendigomon, who merely smirked.

" _Destroyed Voice!_ "

The shockwave of Wendigomon's attack knocked the three partner Digimon off their feet and onto their backs.

"What does this guy want?" Keiko said.

"To fight." Tap said, cracking his knuckles. Zubamon hopped back onto his feet and nodded in agreement.

"I'm with you, Tap!" He cried. "Hey, ugly! Give me your best shot!" Wendigomon glared at Tap and Zubamon.

"You will pay!" Wendigomon said. "You will pay!" Zubamon took off running at full speed toward Wendigomon.

" _20 Scratch!_ "

" _Club Arm!_ "

To counterattack Zubamon, Wendigomon swung both of his long cable-like arms in his direction. Before Zubamon could react, he was smacked right and flew back into the air.

"Zubamon, no!" Tap said. As he ran back to go catch his partner, the two Sistermon charged towards the enemy.

" _Mickey Bullet!_ "

" _Divine Pierce!_ "

"Brother…brother…brother!" Wendigomon hollered. He leapt high into the air, dodging both the bullets and the Cross Barbée. As Wendigomon slammed onto the ground, both Kaori and the Sistermon toppled onto the ground.

"Kaori!" Ryuu said.

"This Digimon is strong…!" Keiko said, running over to Kaori and helping her up.

"It doesn't matter." Kaori said as she stood up. "I'm going to take him down."

"You will pay…" Wendigomon repeated. "You will pay…!"

"What's he going on about?" Ryuu turned around to see Tap and Zubamon approaching.

"I don't care, I just want to beat him!" Zubamon roared.

"He keeps saying that we will pay." Ryuu said, scratching his head in confusion.

"I'm pretty sure he attacked us first." Keiko said. Wendigomon let out a powerful roar, causing the Tamers and Digimon to cover their ears with their hands.

"Shut him up!" Kaori said, looking at the Sistermon. While Sistermon Blanc was still covering her ears, Sistermon Noir nodded and took off running once more towards Wendigomon.

" _Bless Fire!_ "

Wendigomon coughed up spit as the bullets hit him square in the chest. Sistermon Noir lowered her guns to see if that attack would be enough to cause him to relent. Unfortunately for her, Wendigomon proceeded to march towards his attacker.

"You will pay…" Wendigomon chanted. "You will pay…for what you did to him!"

"Him who?" Ryuu said. "What's the connection to us?" Sistermon Noir continued firing her guns at Wendigomon, but the huge beast Digimon ignored the bullets' sting as it kept on getting closer.

"We'd better figure out a plan." Keiko said, turning to face Tap. "Can Zubamon digivolve to the Adult Stage?"

"Not yet." Tap shook his head. "I don't think his win ratio is that high yet."

"Damn." Keiko said, biting her lip. Sistermon Blanc was watching as her sister continued shooting Wendigomon, but to no avail.

"Kaori, this isn't doing much…" Sistermon Noir said, still unloading all her bullets into Wendigomon.

"I've got to help Nee-chan…!" She said. "I've got to help Nee-chan!" As Sistermon Blanc took off towards her sister, Ryuu's face suddenly lit up.

"That's it!" He cried. "Wendigomon wants revenge for his brother!" All the Tamers turned to face Ryuu.

"His brother?" Tap repeated.

"That's great, Ryuu," Keiko began. "One flaw: we didn't do anything to this guy's brother; we don't even know who his brother is!"

"That's not exactly true…" Ryuu said. "Wendigomon's Child Level form is Lopmon, who is known to be twins with another Digimon: Terriermon." While Tap, Keiko, and Zubamon didn't react, Kaori spun around to face Ryuu.

 _Terriermon…?_ She said to herself. _Terriermon's Adult form is Gargomon, but if its data is corrupted it can become…BlackGargomon…_

 **~FLASHBACK~**

" _Bless Fire!"_

 _A straight line of bullets soared through the sky and shot through the final Deputymon's body. Dropping its pistols, Deputymon fell to the ground before becoming data itself._

" _Another Digimon?!" BlackGargomon said, the scar from Sistermon Blanc's lance still fresh on its face._

" _There's a little something you overlooked, BlackGargomon." Kaori said, pointing her Digivice at BlackGargomon. With her other hand, she pulled out something else from her pocket. It turned out to be another Digivice, this one bearing a black and white color scheme. "While you were right in assuming my Digimon was out on overwatch, you didn't know that I have two Partner Digimon!"_

" _Damn you…!" BlackGargomon said. "You had this planned from the start…"_

" _Can I finish this guy off, Kaori?" Sistermon Blanc said._

" _I think we're good." Kaori smiled. She stepped towards BlackGargomon. "This is a message: stay out of my way." Kaori turned around and began to walk away. "Let's get out of here."_

" _No…" BlackGargomon growled. "I-I…I won't forgive you!" BlackGargomon shot up to his feet and aimed both of its Gatling Arms at Kaori and Sistermon Blanc. "Screw the bounty…time to die!"_

" _Gatling…"_

 _A dark-colored blur struck BlackGargomon in the chest, knocking him back onto the ground. The blur bounced back to where Kaori and Sistermon Blanc were standing. It revealed itself to be a human-resembling Digimon, much like Sistermon Blanc. She was wearing a black klobuk and a black dress similar to a religious habit. There were also two guns in her hands._

 _ **SISTERMON NOIR – ADULT LEVEL – PUPPET TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**_

" _Hmmn, I changed my mind." Kaori said as she continued walking. "You guys can finish him off." BlackGargomon only watched as both Sistermon started approaching him._

" _Divine Pierce!"_

" _Mickey Bullet!"_

 _Kaori continued walking as an explosion happened behind her. A few moments later, two beams of light soared from the explosion into both of Kaori's Digivices._

" _Good work, guys." Kaori said._

" _My appearance was limited this time…" Sistermon Blanc said._

" _Kaori, we need stronger opponents next time!" Sistermon Noir's cheerful voice rang._

" _No need to worry about that." Kaori said. "Let's head back to the castle."_

~ **END FLASHBACK~**

"You took my brother from me!" Wendigomon hollered. As he screamed, two rows of cannons appeared streaming down his chest. "You will pay!"

" _Koko Crusher!_ "

A seemingly endless stream of bullets erupted from Wendigomon's chest towards Sistermon Noir.

" _Protect Wave!_ "

Before Sistermon Noir could react, Sistermon Blanc appeared in front of her and stabbed her lance into the ground. A pink wave of energy appeared in front of them, acting as a shield against Wendigomon's bullet assault.

"You…!" Sistermon Noir gasped.

"Nee-chan, I'm your shield." Sistermon Blanc said, concentrating her power on the energy shield the Cross Barbée was producing. "I'll always protect you!"

"Your Digimon are amazing." Tap said, looking at Kaori. Kaori, however, was speechless. "Uh, Kaori? Kaori? Digital World to Kaori, do you read me?"

"His brother…" Kaori finally spoke. "I killed his brother."

"You what?" Keiko said. There was a moment of silence between the four humans. Kaori let out a sigh and formed a fist with her hand.

"Like I said, the world you once knew and protected isn't here anymore." She said. "It's become something else; a shadow of its former self. To bring it back to the way it once was, I've had to become someone else…I've had to become _something_ else."

"Kaesada Kaori…" Ryuu said.

"To bring this world back from the darkness, I will do whatever I have to; it's my responsibility to reclaim this world back from the darkness." Kaori said. Ryuu, Tap, Zubamon, and Keiko merely watched as Kaori walked towards the two Sistermon, who were still trying to fend off Wendigomon's assault. She could see the pain in Sistermon Blanc as she struggled to hold up her shield and in Sistermon Noir as she continued trying to hold Wendigomon off. "I don't care what you think of me, my partners need me and I won't fail…like last time."

" _Last time…_ " Tap said to himself.

"Sistermon Noir and Blanc, I'll never leave your side!" Kaori said. As she pulled out both of her Digivices, two auras, one black and the other white; surrounded both her fists. "Take my power!" Kaori stretched out her sparkling hands and slammed both Digivices into both of her arms.

" _Digisoul, Charge!_ "

Beams of light shot from both Digivices and covered Sistermons Noir and Blanc. Their bodies began to shine, causing Wendigomon to cease his attack and cover his eyes.

"This is what happened to me yesterday…" Tap said. "Digisoul?"

"Look at the Sistermon!" Keiko said. As the light faded, it was revealed that the Sistermon had undergone a bit of a transformation. They had grown to be as tall and mature as human adults. The Cross Barbee was surrounded with an electric coating while the Anthony guns were covered with a similar coating of light.

"Wendigomon, I'd like you to meet the Awakened Sistermon!" Kaori said.

 **SISTERMON NOIR (AWAKEN) – ADULT LEVEL – PUPPET TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

 **SISTERMON BLANC (AWAKEN) – CHILD LEVEL – PUPPET TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"Was that digivolution?" Ryuu said. Kaori shook her head.

"Not exactly; more like an upgrade." She explained. The Sistermon leapt into the air and kicked Wendigomon in the stomach, causing him to roar in pain. Sistermon Noir started firing Anthony at each of the cannons on Wendigomon's chest. One-by-one, they all started detonating, The mythological beast Digimon cried out in more pain as he fell to the ground.

"It looks like they got a power boost." Keiko said.

"My turn!" Sistermon Blanc said. The prongs of the Cross Barbee started sending out bolts of lightning at Wendigomon, hitting him directly. His entire body was engulfed with lightning as he screamed. When the lightning subsided, smoke rose from Wendigomon's body.

"Had enough?" Sistermon Noir said, standing side-by-side with her sister.

"N-No…" Wendigomon said. "No…" An ominous cloud of dark energy began to form around Wendigomon's body as his pupils slowly vanished from his eyes. "You…will… _ **PAY!**_ "

" _Destroyed Voice!_ "

A powerful-looking sonic wave erupted from Wendigomon's mouth and headed straight for the newly-evolved Sistermon.

"You know what to do!" Kaori called. The Sistermon nodded and they took off running towards Wendigomon's attack, with Sistermon Blanc in front of Sistermon Noir. As they ran, Sistermon Blanc dragged the Cross Barbee across the ground. This caused the activation of her _Protect Wave_ technique, which prevented the _Destroyed Voice_ technique from reaching them.

"Nice combination!" Ryuu admired.

"Almost at target…stay on target…NOW!" Sistermon Noir shouted. As soon as they were close enough to Wendigomon, the Sistermon leapt up high into the sky.

"What?!" Wendigomon said.

"Ready, nee-chan?!" Sistermon Blanc said.

"Never not!" Sistermon Noir said back.

" _Grand Sister Cruz!_ "

The bodies of the Sistermon began to produce a silver and blue aura as they darted towards Wendigomon with great speed. The Sistermon slammed their fists into Wendigomon's chest. Wendigomon's shriek filled the air. It was not before long that his body began to deteriorate into that of a chocolate-colored Digi-egg. Ryuu, Tap, and Keiko could not believe their eyes.

"Did you see that, Tap?" Zubamon said, smiling. "That was awesome!"

"Actually, I think I blinked." Tap said, scratching his head.

"Who knew those two Digimon had all that power?" Keiko said to Ryuu.

"It wasn't just that." He said. "Kaori's Digisoul made a difference too." The silver and blue aura surrounding the Sistermon faded and their bodies dissolved into zeroes and ones before falling into Kaori's two Digivices.

"Are they okay?" Keiko said. Kaori looked over at Keiko, Tap, and the others; she offered them a smile.

"Yeah, they just need to rest and restore their energy."

"Sistermon Blanc and Sistermon Noir sure are awesome." Zubamon said.

"Don't you think that's a mouthful?" Tap said. "I think they should get nicknames or something."

"Nicknames?" Kaori repeated.

"It's not that weird." Ryuu said. "I met a guy once who had a nickname for his Digimon."

"What about Lucy and Leia?" Tap said. Everyone else sweatdropped and was silent. "What? They're girl names; the Sistermon are girls… _I think_ …it works!"

"Tap…" Zubamon rolled his eyes.

"That doesn't fit at all…" Keiko said. As Tap, Zubamon, and Keiko continued discussing nicknames for the Sistermon, Kaori felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Ryuu was the culprit.

"By the way," He began. "No matter what you've done, you're our friend now." Ryuu gave Kaori a smile. Kaori's face was blank for a moment; she wasn't expecting that at all. She smiled back.

"Hello, children. We finally meet."

A strong, feminine voice echoed through the everyone's minds. It seemed that Kaori was the only one unfazed by this.

"Did you hear that?" Ryuu said.

"I think we all did." Keiko said, looking around.

"What was that?!" Tap said.

"Tap, a Digimon is nearby." Zubamon said.

"It's her." Kaori said. A powerful, yet warm golden light began to manifest in front of them as a tall woman in a white-and-gold robe emerged from it. "It's about time."

"Who are you?" Tap said. The woman gazed upon all of the D-Tamers and said one word:

"Sanzomon."

 **xXx**

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX**

 **D-3:**

 **(** 希望 **) Kibō (Hope)**


	3. D3: (希望) Kibō (Hope)

_Three years after Ryuu-tachi saved both the Human and Digital Worlds, a new adventure has begun. Samezu Tap, a product of the Digital Monsters Rumble Arena, has entered the Digital World on a mission to liberate it from "The Mikado." Joined by his partner Zubamon, veterans Hachiro Ryuu & Mizumi Keiko, and Digimon crusader Kaesada Kaori, Tap must journey into a world unlike his own and conquer the darkness._

 _Digisoul, Charge into the next adventure…!_

 **xXx**

The third floor of the Taito Station, home of the Digital Monster Battle Terminal, was attracting its natural crowd. Today's matchup consisted of the magical warrior Digimon known as Mistymon and the king of the Jungle Troopers, AlturKabuterimon. Onscreen, the two Digimon were battling in the wilderness.

 **MISTYMON – PERFECT LEVEL – MAGIC WARRIOR TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

 **ALTURKABUTERIMON (BLUE) – PERFECT LEVEL – INSECT TYPE – DATA ATTRIBUTE**

" _Core Dart!_ "

A crystal ball surrounded by flames was launched from Mistymon towards AlturKabuterimon.

" _Mega Blaster!_ "

After gathering electricity in its horn, AlturKabuterimon launched a ball of lightning in Mistymon's direction. Both spherical attacks collided, canceling each other out.

" _Horn Buster!"_

AlturKabuterimon blasted off towards Mistymon and struck him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The letters "KO!" appeared over Mistymon's body

"…and wait…wait…is it so? It is! AlturKabuterimon and its Tamer, Kanuji Akio, are the winners of the DMRA Championship!" The crowd surrounding the battle terminal erupted into applause as the AlturKabuterimon let out a high-pitched cackle. Its Tamer, Kanuji Akio, looked on as the crowd applauded him.

"Nice battle." The Tamer of Mistymon, Kanmoto Maseo, said as he walked up to Akio. "Your AlturKabuterimon is pretty tough!"

"Your Mistymon wasn't a pushover!" Akio said, shaking Maseo's hand. "You almost had us a few times!"

"Yeah," Maseo said. "Truth is, I wasn't planning on being in the finals. The guy I was supposed to face had to drop out and he's really good."

"Oh, right." Akio said, scratching the back of his head. "I heard about that. Samezu Tap and his Zubamon, right? I saw their battle with that Musyamon the other day."

"I bet if I defeated him, Mistymon's win ratio would have been high enough for him to digivolve to MedievalDukemon." Maseo said. Both he and Akio retrieved their V-Pets from the battle terminal and they continued chatting about their Digimon. Unbeknownst to them all, a brown-haired girl watched from afar. She was wearing a sailor fuku like the ones the girls at Ryuu's school wore.

"Digimon…"

 **xXx**

 **DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX**

 **D-3:**

 **(** 希望 **) Kibō (Hope)**

 **xXx**

 **SANZOMON – PERFECT LEVEL – MONK TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"Welcome to the Digital World, children." Sanzomon said.

"So you're Sanzomon, huh?" Ryuu said. Sanzomon nodded. Kaori smiled while the others continued to stare at the human-looking Digimon who towered over them.

"Sanzomon is the one I told you about who brought me to the Digital World." Kaori said.

"The crusader for peace?" Tap said, and Kaori nodded.

"That is a BIG Digimon." Zubamon continued to stare.

"Sanzomon, these are the humans I was telling you about." Kaori said, pointing to each of them as she introduced them. "Hachiro Ryuu, Mizumi Keiko, Samezu Tap, and Zubamon."

"Nice to meet all of you." Sanzomon said, her eyes scanning all the humans. Her eyes stopped on Tap. "My _eyes_ are up here."

"Oup, sorry…" Tap said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"The tales of the Digimon D-Tamers have not been far from my ears." Sanzomon said.

"Hang on," Keiko said, looking at Sanzomon. "If you've heard of us, why haven't we heard of you? And where were you during the war?" The light coating Sanzomon's body finally began to fade.

"I was on the run myself." She said. "Back when the Nightmare Soldiers were wreaking havoc on the Digital World, I was trying to avoid it at all costs. I was a Mikemon at the time. I was sick of all the conflict, all the fighting; I just wanted it to stop."

"What about this Mikado guy? Ryuu said. "What do you know about this Digimon?"

"Unfortunately, not much." Sanzomon said. "All we know is that he has been active for almost a year now. It was around that time that the world's security vanished, so there may be a correlation. Anyways, it started out as a few isolated attacks on landmark areas like the Angelic Castle and the DigitalCITY, but it soon escalated into an all-out conquest. Whoever the Mikado is, he somehow has the ability to command a group of humans to tame the monsters of his own army to conquer the Digital World."

"That's awful!" Tap said.

"It makes sense, though." Ryuu said, crossing his arms. Everyone looked at him. "Look at the power we've unlocked through the bonds with our partners. If the enemy had that same power, who knows what horrible destruction they could cause?"

"Three years ago, GranDracmon brought his own team of Tamers to serve under him." Keiko explained. "They used the Dark Digisoul and were pretty hard to beat."

"Sounds like this Mikado guy has done his homework." Zubamon said.

"It's working, too. The amount of destruction the world is experiencing lately is heartbreaking." Sanzomon said. "Many Digimon are losing their homes, even more are losing their lives…"

"Sanzomon…" Kaori said. The Monk Digimon looked into Kaori's eyes and Kaori could tell that, for some reason, she was smiling.

"Daijoubu desu." Sanzomon said. "I believe there will be a day when we will have peace."

"What makes you say that?" Zubamon said.

"Hope." Sanzomon said. "I have hope that we'll reach a brighter tomorrow. Because of that, it makes living this life easier." The D-Tamers were silent as they let Sanzomon's words sink in.

"That's why Sanzomon reached out to me and brought me to this world." Kaori interrupted everyone's thoughts. "With the highest security of the Digital World gone, Sanzomon believes we can be the hope that the Digimon need."

"You're right." Ryuu said, clenching his fist. Keiko looked at him. She knew when Kaori referred to the "highest security," she was talking about the Royal Knights. "I won't let the Mikado have this world infected again."

"Our precious partners and so many other Digimon live in this world." Keiko said, nodding in agreement with Ryuu. "We can't let them suffer."

"Tap and I are going to kick this Digimon's ass!" Zubamon roared, before looking up at his partner. "Right?" Zubamon saw that Tap had a look of uncertainty on his face. Tap quickly realized that and shook it off.

"R-Right!" he said. "We'll definitely win!" Zubamon continued to stare at his Tamer for a little bit before looking away.

"Thank you, children, for your willingness to protect this world." Sanzomon said. "With your help, we will be able to cleanse the world from the Mikado's darkness." All the D-Tamers nodded.

"So where should we go now, Sanzomon?" Kaori said.

"Home." Everyone gasped as Sanzomon's glow began to get brighter and brighter. It suddenly began to cover her entire body; soon, she could not be seen. "D-Tamers, you must rest. There will be plenty of time for liberation when you come back. Return to your world for now." And in a flash, the light that was once Sanzomon had vanished. The D-Tamers were alone.

"So that's Sanzomon, huh." Ryuu said. Kaori nodded.

"She's been a big help with my mission." She said. "She's wise beyond her years."

"Well, you heard her…" Tap said, a large grin on his face. "Let's head back home. We'll need our rest and our families might worry about us." Kaori, Keiko, and Ryuu looked at Tap with confusion. "What?"

"That was the smartest thing I've heard you say today." Keiko laughed. Tap smiled and scratched his head. Zubamon, however, continued looking at his Tamer. Something was off.

 **xXx**

"Mikado-sama…"

Two Digimon V-Pets were lying on a desk in what appeared to be a boy's bedroom; one crimson and the other gold. There were posters of Shonen manga plastered all over the walls, but the sheets on the bed were an average gray color. The door swung open and a teenaged boy walked in. He was wearing a collared white shirt and jeans with a tie hanging loosely around his neck. The teenager walked towards the two V-Pets, which seemed to be glowing from the screens.

"Report."

"The reconnaissance of our forces has informed us the humans from before have met up with the leader of the resistance, Sanzomon." A digitized voice spoke from the crimson V-Pet.

"It was only a matter of time." The boy said. "Kaori is in league with Sanzomon. I knew Wendigomon would fail, despite CresGarurumon's intentions."

"Forgive me, Mikado-sama." Another voice called out from the gold V-Pet, presumably CresGarurumon's. "Wendigomon was a weak fool."

"Who's the more foolish: the fool or the fool who leads him?"

"BlitzGreymon, I take it this means you believe you can atone for your partner's failure." The boy said.

"Of course, Mikado-sama." BlitzGreymon's voice responded again from the crimson V-Pet. "What are your orders?" A smile creeped onto the boy's face.

 **xXx**

"You got that toy from where?"

Tap was standing in the living room of his house with the biggest grin on his face. Sakuttomon was in his arms with a blank expression on his face. Tap was casually ( _or, at least trying to make it seem like it was casual_ ) laughing while his mother, Samezu Maiya, was staring at her son. She and Tap had basically the exact same face and hair-color and that is where the similarities ended. While Tap is hotblooded and impulsive, his mother Maiya is thoughtful, gentle, and kind. Right now, however, she was confused at why her son was acting very weird.

"I told you…" Tap said, a grin still on his face. "My friends and I were out today at Taito Station and I won this cool Digimon plushie in a random drawing! Isn't it cool?"

"I guess…" Maiya said, examining Sakuttomon. "Those horns look sharp. What kind of plushie is this?"

"Uh, ya know…!" Tap said. "You gotta make Digimon plushies appealing to boys, so these horns did the trick!" Maiya was silent for a moment but then responded with a shrug.

"Whatever." She said. "Guess what's for dinner?"

"Uh, surprise me!" Tap said, before taking off for the staircase to his room. "I have to go watch today's new episode of SAO!"

"Yakisoba casserole!" Maiya called to her son. "Weird kid."

Upstairs, Tap ran into his room and shut the door. As soon as the coast was clear, Sakuttomon popped out of his arms and landed on Tap's bed.

"Whew!" The small Weapon Digimon sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to not move or talk for that long?!"

"You did a great job, though." Tap said. "Sorry about that, Sephirotmon."

" _Sakuttomon_."

"That's what I said." Tap said, much to Sakuttomon's chagrin. "Anyways, I had to convince my mom that you were a toy so if she walks in and sees you if I'm not here she's not suspicious or anything."

"Hey Tap, I'm hungry." Sakuttomon said.

"Hmmn…" Tap said, scratching his head in confusion. "I guess this won't be as easy as pressing a button on my V-Pet to feed you, huh?"

"Hopefully you humans eat more food than just meat and vitamins." Sakuttomon said. Tap sat down on the bed next to Sakuttomon and laughed. He pulled out the V-Pet from his pocket.

"Who knew that this thing would produce a real live Digimon?" He said.

"Hey, Tap!" Sakuttomon said. Tap looked down to face his partner Digimon. "About us fighting with Sanzomon…"

"Now that I think about it," Tap said, cutting Sakuttomon off. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so that means we get to sleep in a bit more! That'll be gr-"

" _Poyoyon Tackle!_ "

Tap fell to the ground after getting hit by Sakuttomon.

"What's going on up there?" Tap heard his mother call from downstairs.

"Uh, n-nothing!" Tap shouted back. "I slipped on a sock!" Tap turned to face Sakuttomon, who was glaring at him on the bed. "Hey, what was that for?!"

"Don't change the subject." Sakuttomon said. "I saw it back in the Digital World…you don't want to join the fight against the Mikado."

"Hold on, I never said that."

"You didn't have to, I saw it in your eyes!"

"I…" Tap said, before cutting himself off.

"The Digital World is my home, Tap." Sakuttomon said. "Why do you hesitate in helping us fight for it?!"

 **xXx**

"File 080199 execute…file 040200, execute…analysis."

The monotone hum of machinery rang through the entirety of a dimly lit laboratory; sparks were flying from the many containment chambers and supercomputers that filled the room. One specific containment chamber was larger than the rest and a large figure stood in front of it. The bipedal Digimon was encased in bulky crimson armor, complete with three-pronged cannons on its arms. Its spiky silver hair was shooting out of the back of its tri-horned helmet as its golden eyes were glued to the containment chamber in front of him.

 **BLITZGREYMON – ULTIMATE LEVEL – CYBORG TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"Repurposing power to the central core." BlitzGreymon said, his verbal command activating knobs connected to the side of the chamber. The sparks of electricity shooting out from the chamber began to increase as a bar on one of the main supercomputers filled up to 100 percent. "FanBeemon, we are at critical mass."

"Yokatta!" A sniveling voice said. A golden bee-like Digimon flew into the lab beside BlitzGreymon. "After we run a few diagnostics, we can take it out for a live test."

 **FANBEEMON – CHILD LEVEL – INSECT TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"I think you misunderstand." BlitzGreymon said, turning to face the diminutive Digimon. "You will do well to remember the Mikado's lack of patience in manners such as these. He has sent monetary compensation for his order, yes?"

"Yes…" FanBeemon said, turning his eyes away from the domineering Ultimate Digimon. He originally had misgivings about the Royal Base taking a custom order from the Imperial Family, but "Tiger" insisted on it for some reason. He flew up to the top of the containment chamber they were both gawking at and pressed a rather large button in the center. The door slid open, blowing steam throughout the entire lab. Two glowing red eyes began to emerge from the fading haze. BlitzGreymon gave a nod of approval as FanBeemon flew backwards to give the latest creation some room. "RB Drone No. DN06 – Waspmon, activate."

"Now, we'll see if this Digital Monster is worth the price we paid." BlitzGreymon said. A hovering figure emerged from the containment field. Much like the name suggested, the new Cyborg Digimon resembled a giant wasp: golden armor with brown stripes covering its body complete with propellers on its shoulders, stabilizers on its back, and tri-pronged cannon taking the place of the stinger.

 **WASPMON – ADULT LEVEL – CYBORG TYPE – VIRUS ATTRIBUTE**

"As always, a pleasure doing business with the Imperial Family." FanBeemon said with a hint of sarcasm. BlitzGreymon ignored this, his eyes fixed solely on Waspmon.

"Awaiting orders." Waspmon buzzed.

"FanBeemon, I believe our business has concluded and your presence here is no longer necessary." BlitzGreymon said, still not removing his gaze from Waspmon. After taking some time to roll his eyes, FanBeemon took off into the air and fluttered away from BlitzGreymon towards the door. BlitzGreymon remained silent for a few moments before speaking again, this time to Waspmon. "The Mikado speaks highly of you, Waspmon; especially due to you naturally carrying the X-Antibody."

"Yessir." Waspmon said.

"The Mikado has a few thorns in his side at the moment." BlitzGreymon said. "Bothersome human children and their traitorous Digimon partners have been interfering lately and we need to draw them out of hiding from their precious world."

"How do we do that?" Waspmon said. BlitzGreymon raised his right cannon/arm.

"Slaughter of the innocent."

 **xXx**

The light emanating from the moon perched in the otherwise dark sky pierced through Tap's bedroom window as he lay awake, hands on the center of his bare chest and staring up at the ceiling. Sakuttomon, on the other hand, was perched on a pillow placed on the floor next to Tap's bed. The In-Training Digimon continued snoring the night away as his Tamer finally sat up. Glancing at his alarm clock, he noticed it was only 11時12分. Judging by the utter silence in-between Sakuttomon's snoring, Tap could assume that his mother was sound asleep. Ordinarily he would be too by this time, but the words of his partner still echoed in his mind.

" _The Digital World is my home, Tap…why do you hesitate in helping us fight for it?!"_

Tap turned to lay on his side in a vain attempt to cure his insomnia. Mere moments later, he turned tin the other direction. He was still awake.

" _Our precious partners and so many other Digimon live in this world." Keiko said, nodding in agreement with Ryuu. "We can't let them suffer."_

"Psst…Tap…Tap!" Tap looked around, thinking he heard his name. His gaze shot down to where Sakuttomon was; sure enough, he was still knocked out cold.

"If it's not him, then…" Tap said. A tapping was heard from behind him. Tap climbed out of bed and made his way to the window, determined to figure out what was going on without waking Sakuttomon up. He stood on top of his computer chair and peered outside. "What…" Down below, Ryuu was staring right back at him waving his hands. "You've gotta be kidding…"

 **xXx**

"Ryuu, what are you doing here?"

Tap was confused. After going downstairs to greet his goggle-headed friend, he was greeted not only with a wave or a hug, but with two cups of bancha tea. The two were sitting in front of Tap's house and were slurping away at their tea.

"I was just in the neighborhood." Ryuu said after taking a big sip. "You can never go wrong with some bancha tea." Tap just stared at him while he continued to drink his tea. The goggle-head was in a white t-shirt and baggy black shorts with sneakers to match; while his outfit suggested he was ready for bed, the bright and calm expression on his face proved otherwise.

"So you came all the way out here just to share a spot of tea?" Tap said, raising an eyebrow. After finishing his sip, Ryuu shifted his gaze towards him.

"I saw that look on your face earlier today in the Digital World." The expression on Tap's face briefly changed to one of guilt before it was covered with slightly forced laughter.

"Heh heh, that's a result of my mom's cooking." He replied. He looked at Ryuu, trying to gage the expression on his face to see if he bought the lie. Ryuu simply took another sip of tea and looked at Tap.

"Tap, are you afraid?"

"Yeah."

The word left Tap's mouth before he could even think. He was at a loss for words and just sat there, staring at the full cup of tea in his hands.

"Honestly, you and me both." Ryuu said, causing Tap's eyes to dart towards him once more. "Just the thought of Dracomo-well, now Examon, being who-knows-where in that world. I don't even know if he's still alive. They say Digimon never really die, but he is my partner and I want to fight with him. He's with the Royal Knights now but…with all this Mikado stuff, I can't even be sure that he's alright. There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about him." Ryuu pushed his hair back out of his eyes and looked up into the sky. "Ya know, we were the ultimate team. Nothing could stand in our way. Fear wasn't even a thing…I mean, I still was afraid of some of the battles we had to face; it just always seemed like when the two of us were together, we could accomplish the impossible."

"You must miss him a lot." Tap said, unsure of anything else to say. His mind wandered to Sakuttomon, who was sound asleep upstairs in his room. "I just met my little guy a couple of days ag-" He stopped himself. That wasn't true. "No…much longer than that. It's been a long time since I first got that V-Pet. We've won so many battles, lost so many; we've been through a lot together."

"That's the bond between a Tamer and his Partner." Ryuu smiled, still with his eyes in the clouds. "I believe that bond can overcome anything…even fear." Tap looked at Ryuu.

"Even…fear." He repeated.

"Tap," Ryuu began. "Remember what Kaori said? We can be the hope that the Digimon need…she and Sanzomon believe it; I believe it too. Do you believe it?"

That question rang through Tap's head all the way into the next morning as he watched Sakuttomon eat some of his breakfast. So far it had been a quiet Sunday morning with Tap's mother at work; Tap took it upon himself to fry up some eggs for the two of them to eat.

"You got any more of this stuff?!" Sakuttomon said, chomping on the already-almost-gone food on his plate. Tap almost did not register what his Partner said, partially because Sakuttomon was seemingly talking at three hundred words-per-minute so he could focus on chowing down.

"Yeah, you can have the rest of mine." Tap shifted his plate over to where Sakuttomon was eating. The Tamer laughed as his Partner Digimon's eyes lit up at the sight of more food in front of him.

"Nice!" Sakuttomon said.

"You're too much." Tap said. He suddenly felt a pulsing vibration in his back pocket. He reached in and grabbed his phone. Looking at the screen, Tap was surprised to see a number he did not recognize.

"Tap?" Sakuttomon said, proving he had the capability to tear himself away from food. He watched as Tap proceeded to answer his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Tap, glad I caught you." Kaori's voice came from the phone.

"Kaori?" Tap said, causing Sakuttomon to get worried. "How d-"

"Worry about that later," Kaori said. "I need you to meet us at Taito Station and hurry! We have a Mikado attack in the Digital World!" With that, Kaori hung-up the phone. Sakuttomon stares at his Tamer.

"My world is in danger again, isn't it?" Tap nodded, dropping his phone-holding hand to his side. "What will you do, Tap?" Tap turned to face his partner. "Will you stand up and fight or will you run?"

 **xXx**

Despite the early morning notice on the Mikado's attack from Kaori, Ryuu already found himself in front of Taito Station. Being a Sunday morning, he was not all that surprised that the streets around the station were relatively empty. As a blanket of the Sun's warmth coated his back, Ryuu took the moment to take pause and reflect on what has happened over the past few days. In the years it has been since he last saw Dracomon, he never considered he would ever set foot in the Digital World again. Yet, here he was: about to go on yet another trek into this world that was quite unlike his own. He took out his D-Soul Digivice from his jacket pocket, merely a relic of older times without his Partner.

"You look lost, Ryuu-kun." A soft and eerily familiar female voice interrupted Ryuu's thoughts. He looked up to see a short, brown-haired Brasilie Vani staring back at him. Ryuu was a bit taken back by her sudden appearance. Instead of the usual school uniform he had seen her in lately ( _not to mention that skirt_ ), she was simply in a striped t-shirt and jeans.

"Vani…"

"What brings you here on a Sunday morning?"

"I could ask you the same question." Ryuu said, refusing to lower his guard. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, it has." Vani said, right before a brief pause. "This isn't awkward at all…"

"Y-Yeah…" Ryuu said, gazing down at the floor. It seemed like forever since the last time he and Vani spoke and didn't think it would happen so soon, considering all that happened. "So…how's the weather?"

"Ryuu…what if we could find our partners again?"

Ryuu looked up and saw the bold, unwavering expression on Vani's face. This wasn't just an idea or mere speculation.

"W-What are you getting at, Vani?"

"Assuming you still have the number, call me later tonight." Vani said as she began to walk away. "Better yet, just come over. Then, everything will become clear."

"Huh…hey, wait!" Ryuu called after Vani, but she began to pick up her speed and run off at a brisk pace. "Brasilie Vani…what are you doing?"

"Ryuu!" Ryuu let out a sigh before turning around. Kaori, Keiko, and Tap were walking up to him. His confused expression quickly changed to a hasty smile as his friends stopped in front of him.

"It's about time you all got here!"

 **xXx**

"Welcome to the Mugen Colosseum." Kaori said while the light from the DigiGate continued fading. Ryuu, Keiko, Tap, and Zubamon were shocked to see the large amphitheater-resembling arena in front of them.

"Wow," Tap said. "This is where the DMRA Tournament was held."

"You're right." Zubamon said. Upon looking down at his partner, Tap took a few startling steps back.

"Hey! You're back to Zubamon now!"

"Yeah, that happens whenever I get back to the Digital World."

"Huh."

"What are we looking at here?" Ryuu said, staring up ahead at the massive arena in front of them.

"I woke up to a distress call from Sanzomon." Kaori said. "She said a rogue Digimon was attacking in the area nearby."

"We need to be on our guard then." Keiko said, looking around. "If only Falcomon was here with us."

"Sistermon, export!" Kaori said, holding both of her Digivices out in front of her. Brief flashes of light shot out of them as Sistermon Blanc and Noir appeared in front of her.

"Nee-chan, it's our time to shine!" Blanc said, throwing a fist in the air.

"Calm down." Noir chuckled.

"You guys don't need to worry." Zubamon said, stepping in front of everyone and making eye contact with all the humans present. "The three of us will protect you." When he made eye contact with Tap, there was a strange moment between the two. After sensing the weird feeling, Tap immediately looked away. Zubamon smiled on.

"Now all we have to do is find this Digimon before any harm is done." Keiko said. Mere moments later, an ear-shattering explosion went off from within the Mugen Colosseum.

"What was that?!" Tap said.

"I think we found our doer." Ryuu said. A flood of Digimon began to pour out of the colosseum and ran past the D-Tamers. Among the flock of Digimon was a small, green worm with a black band on its abdomen. It struggled to move quickly enough and tripped over onto the ground.

 **WORMMON – CHILD LEVEL – LARVA TYPE – FREE ATTRIBUTE**

"Hang on, Wormmon!" Keiko said, running to the small Digimon's aid, picking him up in her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Thank you…" Wormmon said. As his eyes met Keiko's, he gasped. "A human?"

"We're not all as nasty as that Mikado guy." As she held Wormmon up in her arms, Ryuu looked in the air and saw a large cybernetic bee Digimon flying towards them.

"Looks like we have company." Ryuu said, pointing up. Everyone else looked up to see Waspmon flying towards them, still firing lasers from his stinger at the fleeing Digimon.

"It's Waspmon!" Wormmon shouted from Keiko's arms. "Waspmon is the one who attacked us at the colosseum!"

"Unforgivable…" Zubamon growled. "Come down here and fight like a mon!"

"Ryuu and Keiko, take Wormmon and go find cover." Kaori said before making eye contact with Tap. "We'll handle this."

"Understood." Ryuu nodded as Keiko began to take off towards a nearby forest area. Ryuu looked at Tap before leaving. "You're the only ones who can use a Digimon's power at the moment, so we'll leave this to you." Ryuu took off to join Keiko as Waspmon confronted Zubamon and the Sistermon in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Noir said, pointing her guns at the enemy.

"Following orders." Waspmon's laser cannon began to charge up.

" _Turbo Stinger!_ "

"Move!" Zubamon said, pushing Tap out of the way. Kaori and the Sistermon leapt to the side to dodge Waspmon's barrage of lasers.

"Nee-chan!" Blanc said.

"Right." Noir said, and they both jumped into the air.

" _Divine Pierce!_ "

" _Bless Fire!_ "

The yellow beam of energy from the Cross Barbee and the bullets from Anthony hit Waspmon directly, causing its body to be surrounded by smoke.

"Did you get him?" Zubamon said. As the smoke cleared, everyone gasped when Waspmon appeared to look unscathed.

"No way!" Noir said. "That was a direct attack…"

"Your attacks are ineffective." Waspmon said. "Continuing would be pointless."

"You don't know that!" Zubamon said, taking off running towards the enemy. "We're going to stop you here and now!"

" _20 Scratch!_ "

Waspmon took the full-force of Zubamon's attack before swatting him back into the ground.

"Zubamon!" Tap cried out, running towards his Partner Digimon.

"I'm fine…" Zubamon said, picking himself up. Noir and Blanc ran in front of Tap and Zubamon to protect them.

"Nee-chan, let's try _it_." Blanc said and Noir nodded.

"Understood. Kaori?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Kaori said. She held up both of her Digivices into the sky and Digisoul began to flare up around her.

" _Digisoul Charge!_ "

" _ **Sistermon Noir, AWAKEN!"**_

" _ **Sistermon Blanc, AWAKEN!"**_

Both Blanc and Noir stood tall in their Awaken forms and glared at Waspmon. They each tightened their grip on their weapons and ran towards their attack target.

"Those forms…" Wormmon said from behind a nearby tree that he, Keiko, and Ryuu were using as cover.

"Alright!" Ryuu said. "Kaori activated her Digisoul!"

"Watch this, Wormmon." Keiko smiled. "This is the power of the bond between humans and Digimon."

"Blanc, defense mode!" Kaori said. "Same thing we did against Wendigomon!"

"Wakatta!" Blanc said, dragging the Cross Barbee on the ground as they continued running. As they made their way towards Waspmon, Noir began releasing a barrage of bullets from the Anthony. The bullets, albeit more powerful, were still bouncing off Waspmon's armor.

"Damn…" Noir said. "Keep going!" Her body began to shine while Blanc's body followed suit and glowed as well. As the Sistermon began to charge their next attack, Waspmon's laser cannon began taking in energy as well.

"Wait a minute…" Kaori said, noticing Waspmon's cannon. "Hit him!"

" _Grand Sister Cruz!_ "

"Ultimate killing technique…" Waspmon said, aiming for the upcoming Sistermon onslaught.

" _Bear Buster!_ "

As the Sistermon cyclone soared towards Waspmon, a massive blast erupted from Waspmon's cannon and completely overwhelmed the Grand Sister Cruz.

"No way!" Ryuu said.

"That attack was so strong…" Keiko said.

"Blanc! Noir!" Kaori said in utter disbelief. Her Partners were lying on the ground, both unconscious and knocked out of their Awakened forms.

"One hit knocked them out…?" Tap said as the Sistermon were both called back into Kaori's Digivices.

"Get some rest, you two." She said before looking back up at Waspmon. "The enemy is only an Adult Level; that attack shouldn't have been that powerful."

"Oh no no no no!" Wormmon squirmed in Keiko's arms. "Pretty soon, he's gonna come after all of us!"

"Hey, it'll be okay!" Keiko said. "Calm down, Wormmon."

"Tap, I'm going in." Zubamon said, much to Tap's chagrin.

"Zubamon, you can't!"

"I knew you'd say that…I can do this!"

"But…"

"Tap!" Zubamon roared, startling his Tamer. "Did you see the look on Wormmon's face? What about the faces of all those fleeing Digimon from Mugen Colosseum? They were terrified! It's our job to make sure Digimon across the world never have to tremble in fear…especially against guys like this!"

" _Tap," Ryuu began. "Remember what Kaori said? We can be the hope that the Digimon need…she and Sanzomon believe it; I believe it too. Do you believe it?"_

Tap's mind went back to the conversation he and Ryuu had last night. The fear was coursing through him. Could they really make a difference? Playing the Digimon game online was one thing but fighting for the lives of the innocent and spreading hope through the world, could they do that? "Zubamon…" Before Tap could continue, he saw his Partner charging towards Waspmon.

"Your assault is pointless." Waspmon said, pointing his cannon at Zubamon. "The Mikado has already foreseen your downfall."

" _Turbo Stinger!_ "

Despite the barrage of lasers tearing through Zubamon's cape and bruising his armor, he pressed on towards Waspmon without wavering one bit.

"That Digimon…" Wormmon said.

"Come on, Tap…" Ryuu said to himself.

"Zubamon…" Tap said to himself while watching his Partner endure Waspmon's onslaught. "You're fighting to give others hope." Tap began to clench his fists together. "I might be scared…I might not know if we can actually make a difference…but I'm sure as hell not going to watch you fight on your own! I'm right here with you…ZUBAMON!" At once, the warm and tingling sensation of the golden Digisoul erupted around Tap's clenched fist. Both Zubamon and Waspmon stopped and shifted their attention to Tap's currently glowing form.

"Does not compute…!" Waspmon said. "Does not compute!"

"Tap!" Zubamon cheered.

"Yes…!" Ryuu said. Unlike during the battle with Kuwagamon X, another light expanded from Tap's pocket. As if it had a mind of its own, Tap's V-Pet flew out of his pocket and began to change shape. It now resembled the same Digivice Ryuu and Kaori had, only this one was gold with grey stripes.

"My V-Pet turned into a Digivice…" Tap said, grabbing it with his other hand. His gaze shifted from the Digivice to Zubamon. "Ready, pal? I'm fighting with you now!"

"You bet!" Zubamon said. Throwing his glowing fist in the air, Tap proceeded to slam it into the top of his Digivice.

" _Digisoul, Charge!_ "

A beam of light shot out from Tap's Digivice and engulfed Zubamon completely before beginning to expand.

 **EVOLUTION**

" _ **Zubamon digivolve to…**_ **"**

" _ **Zubaeagermon!**_ **"**

 **ZUBAEAGERMON – ADULT LEVEL – WEAPON TYPE – VACCINE ATTRIBUTE**

"Zubamon…you digivolved!" Tap said, admiring his Partner's new form. Zubaeagermon roared as he glared at Waspmon.

"According to our records, you do not possess digivolution capabilities." Waspmon said. "The Mikado will be displeased."

"Waspmon, what you have done is unforgivable!" Zubaeagermon said. "Let's go!" With that, Zubaeagermon took off running towards Waspmon in a blaze of golden light.

"Whoa!" Ryuu said. "He's fast!" Zubaeagermon began zooming around Waspmon. The enemy bee Digimon tried to track Zubaeagermon's movements, but he was moving too quickly.

" _Turbo Stinger!_ "

Waspmon began spinning around in a cyclone as his cannon began firing lasers rapidly.

"Get back!" Kaori said, running back and grabbing Tap's hand. Dodging the onslaught of lasers, the two run back to the deck of trees where Ryuu, Keiko, and Wormmon are watching. Once they got there, they all watched Zubaeagermon effortlessly dodge all Waspmon's attacks.

"He's so fast." Keiko said.

"How did he digivolve?" Wormmon said. A hand was placed on Wormmon's back and the larva Digimon looked up to see Ryuu smiling down on him.

"That's the power of Tap letting go of his fear and lending his power to his Partner." He said, and Tap looked to face him.

"The Digisoul…" Tap said. "It came once I decided to fight with Zubamon."

"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire." Ryuu said. Tap returned his focus to the battle at hand, and Zubaeagermon finally stopped racing around Waspmon for a moment.

"Target acquired." Waspmon said.

"Not quite!" Zubaeagermon said, jumping up in the sky once more.

" _Road T(w)o Decade!_ "

Zubaeagermon thrust his sword-resembling horn right into Waspmon's chest, piercing through the bee Digimon's armor.

"What a hit!" Wormmon said. As Zubaeagermon leapt back to the ground, sparks began to fly from the rather-large gap in Waspmon's armor.

"That's my partner!" Tap said.

"Y-Youuu w-w-won't win…" Waspmon said. His laser cannon began to take in energy once more.

"He's charging his cannon again!" Kaori said. "That's the attack that took out Blanc and Noir's combination!"

"TERMINATION." Waspmon said.

" _Bear Buster!_ "

As the large chrome-colored beam erupted from Waspmon's cannon, Zubaeagermon ran towards the attack and jumped into the sky. His body began to spin in a cyclone as he blasted off towards Waspmon's attack.

" _Vingtième!_ "

As Zubaeagermon continued spinning, its tail blade began to block the impact of Waspmon's Bear Buster.

"He blocked the attack!" Keiko said. Zubaeagermon's spinning body kept charging closer and closer towards Waspmon until making direct contact with him, resulting in a massive explosion. Everyone covered their faces until the smoke cleared and the dust settled. Tap was the first to look at the aftermath of the battle: the only thing left from Waspmon's body was his severed head, which tumbled onto the floor before it burst into data. He then shifted his gaze to Zubaeagermon's golden silhouette as he degenerated back into Zubamon.

"Zubamon!" Tap said, running to his Partner. "Yo, that was awesome!"

"Thanks for fighting alongside me with your Digisoul, Tap!" Zubamon said, throwing his arm out. "You set aside your fear for the greater good." Smiling, Tap grabbed Zubamon's arm.

"I guess we are the hope of this world after all." He said, shaking Zubamon's arm.

"Wow!" Wormmon said, excitedly leaping out of Keiko's arms and crawling over to Tap and Zubamon. "You guys were awesome!" Ryuu, Kaori, and Keiko watched on as Tap, Zubamon, and Wormmon celebrated.

"Looks like Sanzomon was right." Kaori began. "I guess I have to admit: he does have his moments."

"Well done, guys." Ryuu said, throwing a thumbs-up towards the celebrating Tap and Zubamon. "Looks like the Digital World is in good hands."

 **xXx**

"Waspmon has been defeated, Mikado-sama."

Both BlitzGreymon and CresGarurumon were bowing down in the same dimly lit laboratory that FanBeemon used to create Waspmon. The Mikado stood in front of them but with his back turned to them. Neither BlitzGreymon nor CresGarurumon lifted their heads to find their master's gaze. There was no telling how he would react to yet another failure.

"It was inevitable." Both Digimon gasp at the Mikado's response.

"M-Mikado-sama…" BlitzGreymon said.

"Though your actions were noble to our cause, BlitzGreymon, I anticipated the D-Tamers would thwart this particular plan." The Mikado said, slightly turning to face them. BlitzGreymon slightly raised his head in confusion.

"I-I don't understand…"

"I don't either, Mikado-sama." CresGarurumon said. "What was the point then?" The Mikado fully turned to face both of his subordinates.

"We needed to test their strength further." He said. "Let them feel as though they are taking a step towards victory, so we can crush their resolve later."

"Understood." Both BlitzGreymon and CresGarurumon nodded.

"Retire for now and we shall provide a counterattack in due course." The Mikado said. "I have to get back to revisit the Digimental Project."

 **xXx**

"I was starting to wonder whether you'd show up at all."

"For a while, so did I."

"All things considered…I'm glad you did."

"I think we should just get down to it…Vani."

Sunset was on the horizon and Ryuu was standing face-to-face with Vani in front of her house. The awkward tension from before was back in full-swing as the two gazed upon each other.

"You miss him, don't you?" Vani said. "Dracomon, I mean."

"Probably just as much as you miss Salamon." Ryuu said. "I have to know: what did you mean by seeing our partners again?"

"After school tomorrow, the three of us are going to the Digital World to get them back." Vani said. Ryuu scratched his head in confusion.

"How in the world are we supposed to do that?" He said. "Hang on…three? Did you ask Keiko too?"

"…not exactly." A masculine voice said.

"You're here." Vani said, looking past Ryuu. Ryuu turned around and his eyes quickly narrowed. In front of him was a silver and spiky-haired boy clad in a black turtleneck sweater and blue jeans.

"Long time no see, Hachiro Ryuu." The boy said. Ryuu was dumbfounded and glared at the boy. He knew exactly who this newcomer was.

"Osamu Riku…"

 **xXx**

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **DIGIMON D-TAMER DEUX**

 **D-4**

(絆) Kizuna (Bonds)


End file.
